HALIFAX, N.S. – Parents and students in Nova Scotia public schools will be able to count on new, more modern and safer schools thanks to new investments from a re-elected Nova Scotia PC Government, Premier Tim Houston announced today.
“We know that Nova Scotia is changing and that includes the challenges facing our kids too,” said Houston. “That’s why our approach to education is evolving to meet these new challenges.”
As part of the PC Plan for Education, a re-elected Tim Houston Government will build four new schools in high growth parts of the HRM, including Timberlea, Port Wallace, Middle Sackville and Bedford. Houston also committed that a PC Government will build seven new replacement schools in New Germany, Ecole Beaux-Marais, Trenton, West Hants, Sunnyside, Shannon Park and Armdale.
Houston also highlighted the province’s historic investment in a free school lunch program for all 75,000 Nova Scotia public elementary school students that rolled out province-wide this fall.
“We’re proud to be the first government in Nova Scotia history to introduce a province-wide school lunch program,” said Houston. “While the provincial government can’t solve every problem parents face, we can make sure that no child goes hungry during the school day. Not on our watch.”
As part of the PC Government's plan for education Houston also announced a suite of measures to improve the learning environment and keep students safe. Building on the government’s previously-introduced restriction on cell phones, Houston further announced that a PC Government will introduce an updated code of conduct that empowers school administrators to suspend disruptive or dangerous students. He further announced that a re-elected PC Government will hire two police officers into the Department of Education to work exclusively on school safety, security and incident response.
“Every student in Nova Scotia deserves to learn in an environment free of violence or harassment,” said Houston. “We have a plan that is flexible and adaptable without being disruptive. The kind of plan that educators, parents and students all deserve. Let’s make it happen.”