One of the recommendations of the Ministers Review Committee’s Report was to eliminate the Tuition Support Program.
EEANS is asking every concerned person, parents, grandparents, education professionals, friends and neighbours to help save the Tuition Support Program by providing input and their point of view on the Minister’s Review of Special Needs report to Ms. Casey before the deadline of September 28th.
I would hope you can take the time to participate in letting your views be know to the Minister and government.
The Tuition Support Program is very much in jeopardy. We need to all rally support to not only protect this important program, but too in fact, expand it.
We also would recommend that you send a copy of their letter to the appropriate MLA as well.
We are also asking people to get friend and family to also write a response so the Minister can understand that it is just not parents who are upset with this recommendation.
Here is where people can send their letters to response:
Should you have any comments with respect to the Report you may provide your input electronically, through email at: reportresponse@gov.ns.ca
Responses can also be faxed to 902-424-0519.
Comments with respect to the Report may also be submitted by mail to:
Nova Scotia Department of Education
Corporate Policy Branch
P.O. Box 578
Halifax NS B3J 2S9
Deadline for providing any comments will be Friday, September 28, 2007.
Submissions will be considered by the Minister as she develops her response to the Report.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Re: Minister’s Review of Special Needs report recommendation to eliminate the Tuition Support Program
Dear Ms. Casey:
I was very disappointed in the Minister’s Review of Special Education report that the committee submitted to you at the beginning of September. I was especially disappointed at the committee’s recommendation that the Tuition Support Program be shut down after so many parents took the time to be involved and tell their story. The idea of cutting off funding to effectively send children with serious learning disabilities back to the public school’s that failed them in the first place is disturbing. Mr. Farmer’s suggestion that if we force these children back to their schools the Department and boards will “really have to fix things now” is ridiculous. Children should not have to pay the price for inadequate service offerings and techniques with their future and self esteem to motivate positive change in the public school system.
I have heard allot of rhetoric about protecting “Inclusion” as if it is in jeopardy or under threat. This is a smokescreen issue intended to garner public support and to confuse the issue. You will not find me or anyone else who would what to get rid of inclusion. Inclusion works great! Children have the right to attend their local school and sit in a regular classroom. But what if that regular classroom is not the best place for some kids? What the committee is suggesting is the concept of “TOTAL & FULL INCLUSION” which means ALL children who are publicly funded must attend a public school regular classroom. The concept of a “one size fits all” solution offered only by public schools is misguided.
The Supreme Court of Canada demands that “Inclusion” be interpreted from the child’s point of view. The child should be put in the least restrictive environment. Put another way, if there is a place (in the province) that can offer specialized educational services in a better environment, you, as Minister of Education, must follow the spirit of education act and do what is in the best interest of a child from their point of view. Because of this duty, you have an obligation to allow them access to the best services available until undue hardship can be proved. Accepting the recommendation to shut down a vital lifeboat like the Tuition Support Program is ignoring fact that there is a better way out there that is working in right now for our kids. It doesn’t cost you any more money, so it is not undue hardship for the government. As Minister of Education you have the duty do what is right and just for the children of this province. To offer them the very best education available regardless of whether it is public or private. Your responsibility is not to protect unions, jobs or the Deputy Ministers outdated idea of “Inclusion”. Your responsibility is to make sure schools are safe and happy places to learn. Your responsibility is to make sure curriculums are followed and outcomes are achieved. In all schools whether private or public.
The dream of a perfect system where all services are offered in a local public school is a noble aim. It is just not a reality today or for the foreseeable future. Mr. Cochrane said in a meeting I attended that he will never permit special needs kids to be excluded, to be “sent to the room in the basement of schools”. This recommendation will do just that. “Basements of schools” for many children can also be sunny filled regular classrooms in their local public school.
I ask you to reject the recommendation of the report and continue to support the Tuition Support Program. I ask you eliminate a fixed limit on support in favour of one designed to support a child until they are able to return to public school.
Sincerely,
Brian Hickling
I was very disappointed in the Minister’s Review of Special Education report that the committee submitted to you at the beginning of September. I was especially disappointed at the committee’s recommendation that the Tuition Support Program be shut down after so many parents took the time to be involved and tell their story. The idea of cutting off funding to effectively send children with serious learning disabilities back to the public school’s that failed them in the first place is disturbing. Mr. Farmer’s suggestion that if we force these children back to their schools the Department and boards will “really have to fix things now” is ridiculous. Children should not have to pay the price for inadequate service offerings and techniques with their future and self esteem to motivate positive change in the public school system.
I have heard allot of rhetoric about protecting “Inclusion” as if it is in jeopardy or under threat. This is a smokescreen issue intended to garner public support and to confuse the issue. You will not find me or anyone else who would what to get rid of inclusion. Inclusion works great! Children have the right to attend their local school and sit in a regular classroom. But what if that regular classroom is not the best place for some kids? What the committee is suggesting is the concept of “TOTAL & FULL INCLUSION” which means ALL children who are publicly funded must attend a public school regular classroom. The concept of a “one size fits all” solution offered only by public schools is misguided.
The Supreme Court of Canada demands that “Inclusion” be interpreted from the child’s point of view. The child should be put in the least restrictive environment. Put another way, if there is a place (in the province) that can offer specialized educational services in a better environment, you, as Minister of Education, must follow the spirit of education act and do what is in the best interest of a child from their point of view. Because of this duty, you have an obligation to allow them access to the best services available until undue hardship can be proved. Accepting the recommendation to shut down a vital lifeboat like the Tuition Support Program is ignoring fact that there is a better way out there that is working in right now for our kids. It doesn’t cost you any more money, so it is not undue hardship for the government. As Minister of Education you have the duty do what is right and just for the children of this province. To offer them the very best education available regardless of whether it is public or private. Your responsibility is not to protect unions, jobs or the Deputy Ministers outdated idea of “Inclusion”. Your responsibility is to make sure schools are safe and happy places to learn. Your responsibility is to make sure curriculums are followed and outcomes are achieved. In all schools whether private or public.
The dream of a perfect system where all services are offered in a local public school is a noble aim. It is just not a reality today or for the foreseeable future. Mr. Cochrane said in a meeting I attended that he will never permit special needs kids to be excluded, to be “sent to the room in the basement of schools”. This recommendation will do just that. “Basements of schools” for many children can also be sunny filled regular classrooms in their local public school.
I ask you to reject the recommendation of the report and continue to support the Tuition Support Program. I ask you eliminate a fixed limit on support in favour of one designed to support a child until they are able to return to public school.
Sincerely,
Brian Hickling
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Protecting a fortress of idealism with children's lives.
The Minister's Review of Services for Students in Nova Scotia report was released a week ago and in it the panel recommended to scrap a program that was very important for many children in the province who have learning disabilities. Called the Tuition Support Program, it diverts a standard funding unit (approximately $6,200) the child's local public school to a private school.
I, along with many parents and professionals are very disappointed to say the least with.
Many people who attended input sessions around the province talked passionately about how their child suffered and failed in public school, yet succeeded in a small class private setting. They asked and begged the review committee to understand this. EEANS showed them evidence that children where thriving. Yet the panel chose not to look at special education needs from a child point of view, but instead from high up in their fortress.
There are a few reasons I think the review panel and the Department of Education included the recommendation to scrap the Tuition Support Program.
1. Children who receive education at a Designated Special Education Private School do well. They thrive. This is very embarrassing for the department and school boards.
2. The department thinks that letting parents divert their funding unit to a Designated Special Education Private School will lead to parents of non LD children to want the same right to send their child to a private school.
3. The union is well represented in the department of education. Protect the union at at all costs. Enrollment is down so they want every child they can get and the money that comes with them.
4. The Department of Education actually believes they can service 100% of all educational needs of our children. They must be much better than the department of Health, who sends patients out of province regularly for specialized services they cannot provide in province.
5. They can't offer the TSP in every corner of the province. OK, so let's scrap heart operations or MRI's on the same basis.
The fact is the department and their review panel suffer from a disability as well. A listening disability.
The report refuses to deal with the merits of why the program is literally saving the lives of students and why it is working and simply says they do not think it is appropriate. I guess it is better to have children fail in the public school system then it is to succeed at Bridgeway or Landmark. This is more about egos, pride and professional arrogance then it is about children. This recommendation sacrifices the children's future on the altar of someones trumpeted up view of what is or is not "appropriate" for the public school system.
The day when the public school system appropriately meets the needs of severe and moderate learning disabled students in a appropriate environment and where they can succeed is the day the tuition support program will cease to have any relevance, it will sunset itself. Parents will have no need or desire to spend the other half of private school tuition cost.
The department has used a smoke screen issue. It has said many times that they support the "Inclusion philosophy". Who doesn't? Their definition of inclusion is all children "must go to a public school!" when in fact it is "all children should have the right to attend public school".
The Department of Education will try to imply to the general public that to continue with the Tuition Support Program would put "Inclusion" in jeopardy. This is false and very dirty pool. The children who attend a private school are in an inclusive setting. They are accepted by their peers. They are in a safe and caring environment. They are learning and laughing with other children.
We have some beautiful fortresses in Nova Scotia, and one very old ugly one.
Brian Hickling
Vice Chair
Equal Education Association of Nova Scotia
I, along with many parents and professionals are very disappointed to say the least with.
Many people who attended input sessions around the province talked passionately about how their child suffered and failed in public school, yet succeeded in a small class private setting. They asked and begged the review committee to understand this. EEANS showed them evidence that children where thriving. Yet the panel chose not to look at special education needs from a child point of view, but instead from high up in their fortress.
There are a few reasons I think the review panel and the Department of Education included the recommendation to scrap the Tuition Support Program.
1. Children who receive education at a Designated Special Education Private School do well. They thrive. This is very embarrassing for the department and school boards.
2. The department thinks that letting parents divert their funding unit to a Designated Special Education Private School will lead to parents of non LD children to want the same right to send their child to a private school.
3. The union is well represented in the department of education. Protect the union at at all costs. Enrollment is down so they want every child they can get and the money that comes with them.
4. The Department of Education actually believes they can service 100% of all educational needs of our children. They must be much better than the department of Health, who sends patients out of province regularly for specialized services they cannot provide in province.
5. They can't offer the TSP in every corner of the province. OK, so let's scrap heart operations or MRI's on the same basis.
The fact is the department and their review panel suffer from a disability as well. A listening disability.
The report refuses to deal with the merits of why the program is literally saving the lives of students and why it is working and simply says they do not think it is appropriate. I guess it is better to have children fail in the public school system then it is to succeed at Bridgeway or Landmark. This is more about egos, pride and professional arrogance then it is about children. This recommendation sacrifices the children's future on the altar of someones trumpeted up view of what is or is not "appropriate" for the public school system.
The day when the public school system appropriately meets the needs of severe and moderate learning disabled students in a appropriate environment and where they can succeed is the day the tuition support program will cease to have any relevance, it will sunset itself. Parents will have no need or desire to spend the other half of private school tuition cost.
The department has used a smoke screen issue. It has said many times that they support the "Inclusion philosophy". Who doesn't? Their definition of inclusion is all children "must go to a public school!" when in fact it is "all children should have the right to attend public school".
The Department of Education will try to imply to the general public that to continue with the Tuition Support Program would put "Inclusion" in jeopardy. This is false and very dirty pool. The children who attend a private school are in an inclusive setting. They are accepted by their peers. They are in a safe and caring environment. They are learning and laughing with other children.
We have some beautiful fortresses in Nova Scotia, and one very old ugly one.
Brian Hickling
Vice Chair
Equal Education Association of Nova Scotia
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