N.S. Liberals appoint education advisory council after dissolving elected boards

HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government’s 12 appointments to a new provincial advisory council on education have been announced, three weeks after the school year has started.

The Liberal government promised to create an advisory council to the education minister after it dissolved elected school boards earlier this year.

The province said one of the first priorities on which the department will seek advice from the council is student transportation.

A news release from the department says that more than 130 Nova Scotians applied for a position on the council.

The 12 appointees join representatives of three member organizations, the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, the Council on Mi’kmaq Education and the Council on African-Canadian Education, to create a 15-member council.

The province says the board members include former school board members and people with backgrounds that include teaching, school administration and working with students with a disability.

It also has a balance of men and women from around the province, with each member receiving $600 a year as an honorarium along with funding for their expenses.