NDP MLA and education critic Lenore Zann says in a news release Tuesday that Education minister Karen Casey must ensure that the needs of rural schools are being met and she is calling on the minister to take action to prevent elementary school library cuts in the Tri-County Regional school district.
This summer the school board was forced to eliminate over 30 jobs due to the McNeil government’s budget cuts, says the release, including 20 teaching positions and 4.3 (FTE) elementary school library technician positions - which means all elementary school librarians have been eliminated in the region.
“The Liberals made big election promises when it came to education funding, but in rural communities families are seeing nothing but cuts and school closures,” says Zann. "To make matters worse they set up the Hub School model in such a way that it was doomed to fail. It’s time the McNeil government starts keeping the promises it made to students and families in rural Nova Scotia. A good place to start would be to reverse these cuts to school libraries and staff.”
In 2012 Karen Casey was quoted as saying, “Libraries are the hub of learning and research in schools but librarians are essential in fostering independent learning, literacy, and in preparation for post-secondary education.”
Three years later Zann wants the Minister to stand by her words.
“If the Minister truly meant what she said just three years ago, she will stop sitting on her hands and do what’s necessary to protect school libraries in the Tri-County region,” adds Zann.
