Teachers union not invited to government meeting on violence in schools

Opposition leaders are accusing the Progressive Conservative government of trying to stifle critical voices and avoid negative headlines on the issue of violence in schools.

The Tories recently used their majority on the legislature's standing committee on public accounts to select witnesses for future meetings, including one focusing on an upcoming report by the auditor general on violence in public schools.

The only witness will be Elwin LeRoux, the deputy minister of education, despite calls from opposition MLAs to include a representative from the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.

"The auditor general had recommended the witness for her report," Tory MLA Nolan Young said at the time.

"I don't understand how we can add witnesses to a report that we've never seen and then say they're relevant or pertinent, when it wasn't recommended by the auditor general."

Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said teachers are seeing violence in schools first hand. (CBC)

However, opposition leaders speaking Tuesday at Province House said a meeting on violence in schools should hear from a representative for teachers.

"The fact that the government is scared to have them there, I think, is a big problem," Liberal Leader Zach Churchill told reporters.

Churchill said teachers are the ones seeing the violence first hand at work. He said the government seems intent on blocking witnesses that they think are going to create negative media coverage for them.

"If you understand one thing about [Premier] Tim Houston, it's that he is terrified of bad press; he doesn't like when people say negative things about him or his government's decision and that is a driving force behind decisions like this to actually keep people who can provide good feedback — constructive feedback — away from doing so," said Churchill.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the committee risks "just being a mouthpiece for government to share the message that they want" if PC committee members are unwilling to allow witnesses other than bureaucrats.

"This is a huge, huge issue," she told reporters.

"Teachers are on the front lines and their voices and the voices of students are the ones that are most important in this and we're not going to hear from either at committee."

NDP Leader Claudia Chender says the premier had lots to say about the importance of transparency when he was in opposition, but that seems to have changed since he formed government. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

Chender said the government seems to prefer keeping any criticism or conversations about challenges people are facing out of the public eye.

"They want to trumpet their achievements and leave the rest of it behind closed doors."

Nova Scotia Teachers Union president Ryan Lutes sent the committee a letter on Monday calling on it to revisit last week's decision.

"This past fall, 84 per cent of our members indicated that the government is not doing enough to address school violence. Similarly, 56 per cent indicated that our schools have become more dangerous this year, compared to last," Lutes writes in the letter, which the union shared with CBC News.

"The NSTU has also received hundreds of testimonials from our members outlining the devastating impact of school violence on children, school staff and their families. It's a disservice to these hard-working professionals, dedicated to the betterment and wellbeing of our kids, that their union will not be able to share their perspective at this meeting."

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said there are many ways to communicate with teachers about violence outside of government committees. (CBC)

Premier Tim Houston said his government "listens closely to teachers all the time."

"I think we have quite a good relationship with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union," he told reporters.

Violence in schools is something the government is concerned about and they'll look for ways to work with the union on the issue, said Houston.

"There'll be a committee [meeting] for other reasons, I'm sure, in the future, too. But that's not the only way to communicate with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union."

Houston said there are more direct and efficient ways to discuss the matter, although he did not elaborate.

Code of conduct review ongoing

Meanwhile, Education Minister Becky Druhan said last week that her department's review of the student code of conduct continues.

The minister said officials in her department would soon be reaching out to teachers and members of school advisory councils to get input on that work. She anticipated having an update ready for the coming school year, but said changes that can help in schools would be made sooner where possible.

"We're hearing about the challenges of complex classrooms and this is something that I'm very committed to working to support," Druhan said in an interview.

"We do know and what we see is that classrooms are reflections of community and when there are challenges in community, those challenges make their way into classrooms."

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