Letter: The individuals we leave our children with daily have a huge impact on their lives. They shape their little minds and their little souls. They make them happy, teach them so many things and are their shoulder to cry. Not only are they changing their lives today, but they’re impacting an entire generation for our province. It’s terribly disappointing to realize these crucial human beings are making such little money.
We have been talking about it for decades, but Black kids still face huge barriers in Nova Scotia’s educational system. Wayne Desmond suggests more money for support workers and more funding for bursaries and scholarships could be a place to start addressing the achievement gap.
Letter: “As centers face ongoing challenges of decreased enrollment and departures of trained and experienced Early Childhood Educators from childcare centers, what will ultimately happen to the childcare system for our youngest citizens? How can parents be active participants in the workforce without childcare?”
Students at Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College are demanding a tuition freeze after university administration announced a three per cent rise in fees. Meanwhile, international students are slated to pay nearly two thousand dollars extra next year. Reporter David J. Shuman reports.
This pandemic has shown that ECEs are essential for daycares to run, so parents can work, and for children to have quality care. I feel it is unfair for us ECEs, who are an important part of children’s development, to be left with debt and the fear of poverty.
Letter: “One would think that after 31 years of service working for the same employer, I would be retired or planning my retirement. Unfortunately this is not the case, as my employer cannot afford a pension plan for it’s staff. Who by the way deserve a great pension plan!!!! So I will have to keep working until I am 65 years old and maybe older in a job that is physically and mentally demanding.”
The board of governors raised hurdles at every step of the process, only to end up with an agreement very close to what the Dalhousie Faculty Association had proposed at the start of the negotiations. Doing so aggravated the already substantial stress staff and students were under.
Nova Scotians have allowed a lot of power to be concentrated at the provincial level, and it didn’t start with Stephen McNeil. What to do, Richard Starr asks.
Lily Barraclough: During the pandemic stories depicting frontline workers as heroes have been numerous, but educators of all kinds and including homeschooling parents, have been somewhat forgotten.
Wayne Desmond reflects on harsh and expensive lockdown rules for foreign students entering Nova Scotia. “It becomes apparent that universities have a lot more work to do engaging with their international students and understanding their needs, vulnerabilities and desire to be treated with the same consideration, respect and dignity as Canadian students,” he writes.