Inclusive education largely failing students in Nova Scotia, commission finds
HALIFAX — Inclusive education is largely failing both special needs students and their peers in Nova Scotia, a new report says.
The independent commission on inclusive education, struck three months ago in the wake of a bitter labour dispute between the provincial government and 9,300 public school teachers, released a scathing interim report Thursday.
While the commission said there is widespread support for having all students regardless of needs share the same classrooms, it found the current model is broken.
“It’s clear to us that neither students with special needs nor their peers appear to be well served by the existing model,” commission chairwoman Dr. Sarah Shea said. “Many parents have expressed concerns that their children’s needs are not being satisfactorily met.”