Critics, educators split on decision to sack school board

Opposition members aren’t second guessing the education minister after the dismissal of the South Shore Regional School Board.

Ramona Jennex made the announcement Tuesday after an independent review detailed serious problems with the elected members’ governance practices.

Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie said he supports the minister’s decision, based on the review’s findings.

“It’s very clear that there are serious governance issues with that board that would have a material effect on the quality of education,” he said.

Baillie added that school board members should continue to be elected by taxpayers and not appointed by government, except in extenuating circumstances.

But education consultant Paul Bennett wondered whether the decision will scare qualified candidates away from future elections.

He says he’s read the Deloitte review and believes the minister made the wrong call.

“I looked at the report and I do not think it supports the conclusion that the minister reached,” said Bennett. “Nothing that’s litigious, no violation of their financial responsibilities.”

Liberal education critic Karen Casey – who dismissed the Halifax Regional School Board in 2006 – says the minister made a tough choice.

“If the operation of the board has the potential to have a negative impact on teaching and students in the classroom, then I think the minister certainly has to intervene,” she said.

However, Casey said the board could have been given a chance to reform, perhaps through conflict resolution or another form of outside mediation.

She says school boards across Nova Scotia would generally benefit from a more structured review process.

“Maybe we need to have all boards go through some kind of outside supervision or review to determine if there are others that fall into that category,” she said.

Jennex says she does plan to introduce legislation that would allow for a better review process.