NSTU Questions for Candidates

Irvine Carvery, Progressive Conservative, Halifax Armdale

Progressive Conservatives want to maintain the best of the school system and improve in areas where needed, with the goal of delivering the best educational experience we can.

  1. Let’s look at our platform priorities for education.
  • Move to a five-year planning cycle and funding model so people are confident in the commitment and direction.
  • Increase the teaching resources in the front lines by reducing the amount & proportion of funding going into administration at the school board level, cutting the number of school boards to 4 from 8.
  • Pay additional attention to special needs students within this process with increased resources.
  • Reduce class sizes to 25 students at the primary to grade 6 level. (a return to previous PC policy).
  • Move to open boundaries, where students can attend the school that they and their parents choose.
  • Recognize the expenditures of teachers and families on school supplies by providing a $200 tax credit.
  • Continue with the moratorium on rural school closures while more information is gathered.
  • Putting a limit on how far students can be bussed to schools.
  • Embrace the hub model for schools in rural areas, reinforcing the role of schools in the community. Make community schools a centre piece of economic development, so families and businesses can thrive.

There are additional platform items that relate to having a better post-secondary educational system, which will have a positive impact on Nova Scotians. It is important as well, to understand that the economic policies of the Progressive Conservative government will provide a healthy environment for schools. Reducing taxes by lowering the HST, reducing the taxes on gasoline, eliminating small business taxes will all lower the expenses for schools and families. Freezing power rates will have a major positive impact and creating jobs will help keep families here in Nova Scotia schools. These are not mere election promises, they are long term positive changes which will help create a better economy for all Nova Scotians.

  1. We have made education a priority within our budgeting and would continue to do so.
  2. Progressive Conservatives would like to hear from front line teachers as well as the NSTU on issues relating to the effectiveness of the school system.
  3. The Progressive Conservative platform as summarized above has a clear direction for education in Nova Scotia and a strong commitment to students, parents, teachers and communities.

As the candidate for Halifax Armdale and part of Jamie Baillie’s Progressive Conservative team, I look forward to hearing more from teachers about what is right with the system and where we can improve it together. There are enormous pressures everywhere on every aspect of government and the economy and there has never been a more important time to work together in genuine collaboration for the good of the Province and the students and the school system. I commit to working with teachers to ensure a better system and better quality of working life for teachers.

Irvine Carvery, Progressive Conservative

Halifax Armdale

October 3, 2013