Media release: With schools now reopening, it’s critical the province allow for a full and transparent review of school COVID-19 cases says the NSTU. Given the hundreds of school aged children that tested positive for COVID in late April and early May, and the sheer volume of schools impacted, a vague number in a talking point is not sufficient to assure families that schools were not a source of community transmission less than a month ago.

Media release: Premier Iain Rankin’s commitment to maintaining remote learning for the final few weeks of June brought closure and a level of certainty to students, teachers and families after COVID-19 ravaged the public school system in late April. Today’s announcement will generate more anxiety and needless confusion for families already struggling under the impacts of this pandemic, according to the NSTU.

Media release: The NSTU is concerned with an HRCE proposal to reduce staffing levels at schools across the HRM through the elimination of Unassigned Instructional Time (UIT). UIT is time during which teachers are scheduled to support students, other than facilitating learning for a whole class. Given the pressure COVID-19 has placed on the entire education system, NSTU President Paul Wozney says, now is an “inappropriate time to reduce resources that are critical to keeping students supported and safe at school.”