The president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union is highlighting the issue of violence in schools by sharing a photo of a teacher who was injured, amid accusations teachers’ voices are being stifled by the provincial government.
NSTU president, Ryan Lutes, shared a photo on social media of a bruised wrist where an elementary school teacher was apparently bitten by a student.
“These are not isolated incidents. They’re not one-offs, and they’re happening more and more frequently and with more severity,” he told Global News.
“I have another email just today from a teacher who makes that bruise look like nothing. And so, again, these are the kinds of situations that are happening to our educators, but also the kinds of situations that our students are seeing.”
Lutes is particularly concerned because the union has not been selected as witnesses for an upcoming standing committee on public accounts that will discuss the auditor general’s report about violence in schools.
In a written release this week, Lutes pointed out that the only witness will be the deputy minister of education, Elwin LeRoux, “in spite of concerns raised by the opposition members on the committee.”
“Teachers deserve to have their voices (heard) in any meeting where school violence is being discussed,” he said.
“And other groups as well. Our educational assistants, they’re represented by unions that also were blocked. I think that’s really disrespectful to the really hard working people that are that are doing good work in schools, trying to make sure kids get a great education.”
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Speaking at Province House Tuesday, Premier Tim Houston told reporters his government has “quite a good relationship with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union” and has open communication.
“The violence in schools is something we’re concerned about. All Nova Scotians would be concerned about when students go to school. They they have a right to feel safe and be safe,” said Houston.
When asked why his caucus supported only calling the deputy minister as a witness, Houston said his government will “continue to look for ways to work” with the union and “keep that dialogue open.”
“There will be a committee 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. There’s much more direct ways and sometimes more efficient ways.”
But opposition leaders said it’s difficult to discuss violence in schools without having teachers speak.
“I don’t see a great value in talking about violence in our schools if teachers — the people dealing with the stuff on the front lines — aren’t in the room and able to share their opinions,” said Liberal Leader Zach Churchill.
“And, you know, a deputy minister works for the government. A deputy minister is going to do what they’re told (…) and we see that every single time a deputy comes in and is fully scripted with what they present to these communities.”
Churchill went on to allege that the government is “scared to have outside voices, particularly those of teachers who are dealing with this stuff every single day.”
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said she thought the “Tories are dedicated to quieting any criticism.”
“We live in complex times, and there are lots of challenges facing this province, and we need to come together as a government to figure out how to solve those. The government doesn’t want to have that conversation in public,” said Chender.
“Schools want to understand what’s happening. We can’t do that without teachers at the table. And we intend to continue to push the committee to include the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, and we hope that they’re going to change their minds.”
Just last week, a Halifax-area teen pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in a double stabbing at Charles P. Allen High School in 2023. In the high-profile case, a principal and administrative assistant were stabbed and seriously injured.
Lutes said Thursday he hasn’t heard back from the province, but has sent the committee a letter asking them to reconsider their decision.
He pointed to a recent poll of NSTU members, that found 84 per cent of them have thought about leaving the profession, as an indication of how fed up teachers have become.
In that survey, 42 per cent considered quitting specifically due to school violence and more than half felt they didn’t get enough support or respect from their employer.
Lutes said teachers don’t want to blame students for issues or struggles, but are calling for better resources or staffing.
“We’re not blaming the children. They are not getting what they need, and that could be (…) that appropriate consequences aren’t part of that,” he said.
“At the end of the day, students are not getting what they’re needing from the system, and we need something to change because it’s having a major impact on the mental and physical health of our teachers and our kids.”
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