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Fiscal Targets ($ thousands)

Education
1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-00
768,720	767,905	778,534	780,517
Universities
188,834	183,814	185,615	192,681

Mission:
To provide excellence in education and training for
personal fulfilment and for a productive, prosperous society.

Strategic Goals

• Achieve excellence in all programming.

• Promote community development by making education and training more accessible and effective through technology.

• Use tax dollars more efficiently.

• Ensure accountability.

• Improve quality and efficiency by restructuring the education and training system.

• Improve race relations and cross-cultural understanding.

• Enable all Nova Scotians to participate in the changing economy by developing a learning culture.

• Help preserve and develop our knowledge resources and cultural and natural heritage.

Core Business Functions

Development, Implementation, and
Evaluation of Programs and Services

• Coordinates the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs, courses, and educational services for the provincial public school system.

• Manages the province-wide achievement testing program to assist in the evaluation of student achievement.

• Provides teacher certification and classification services.

• Assists in providing in-service training to support program implementation and to develop and coordinate professional development programs.

Program and Service Delivery

• Responsible for the Nova Scotia Community College system and Collège de l'Acadie to provide training and retraining opportunities.

• Responsible for apprenticeship training and certification.

• Provides a range of programs and services for adults, such as literacy training, academic upgrading, workplace education, correspondence studies, and career planning.

• Collects, preserves, researches, and interprets the province's architectural, social and natural history through the operation of provincial museums.

• Provides programs and services in the performing arts, visual arts, crafts and design, cultural industries, and Acadian cultural services.

Funding and Financial Services

• Provides funding to post-secondary institutions in Nova Scotia.

• Provides funding to the provincial public school system.

• Provides funding to support public libraries, community museums, and other cultural activities.

• Provides financial assistance directly to post-secondary students.

• Undertakes audits, facilities planning, and equipment acquisition.

Policy and Planning Activities

• Coordinates the development, communication, and evaluation of policy for all departmental jurisdictions, including the public school system, training, universities, libraries, and heritage and culture.

• Coordinates federal-provincial relations in matters relating to the responsibilities of the department.

• Undertakes strategic and business planning activities for the department.

Consultative and Support Services

• Provides advice to school boards on all matters pertaining to public education and assists in the development and integration of policies and procedures of the department.

• Advises government on all matters related to universities.

• Provides support services to public libraries and cultural industries.

• Provides advice and support on the technology-related activities of public schools and school boards.

• Provides centralized, cost-effective learning resources, media production, and distance education network services to meet the needs of the provincial education system.

• Manages the school capital construction program, the emergency capital program, and the school indoor air quality program.

• Monitors school boards' pupil transportation systems.

Performance 1995-96

Elementary and Secondary

• The department planned and began to implement restructuring of school boards to create six Anglophone and one Acadian-Francophone school board. The amalgamation process, approved by government following the White Paper consultations, was initiated in late August 1995 and is expected to be completed by July 31, 1996.

• An $18-million fund was established to implement Acadian-Francophone governance. This cost-shared agreement with the federal government covers a five-year implementation period.

• The Maintenance Stabilization Trust Fund was created to increase funding for emergency capital, so school boards can ensure a safe and healthy environment. This fund was created with an initial contribution from the department of $700,000, which is available for loans to school boards. This fund will continue to grow with additional contributions from government and the repayment of loans from school boards.

• Five school construction projects were begun, construction of one school was completed, and planning was initiated for nine new school construction projects.

• Tendering for the design, construction, financing, and operation of the new junior high school in Sydney and the new elementary school in Porters Lake increased partnerships with the private sector. Both schools are to be technology-rich, lifelong learning centres.

• Learning expectations, called Essential Graduation Learnings, which described what students should know and be able to do at the end of grade 12, were published.

• Outcomes-based curriculum was developed in industrial arts/technology, computer studies, career and life management, physically active lifestyles, physics, and chemistry.

• Curriculum was improved in science, language arts, and mathematics. Foundation documents outlining learning expectations for students from Primary to grade 12 were developed regionally and validated through a province-wide consultation.

• A pilot African Canadian studies course for high schools was developed in cooperation with the Black Learners Advisory Committee (BLAC) and several school boards.

• Six pilot School-to-Work Transition research projects were approved and implemented across the province to help students make a smooth transition from the classroom to the world of work.

• A partnership was created with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Nova Scotia Economic Renewal Agency (ERA), and the private sector to establish a Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development with the mandate to increase the entrepreneurial skills and capability of young people.

• A $3-million ACOA grant to provide computer labs to 46 junior/senior high schools was administered.

• The development of education performance indicators was initiated through the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation (APEF). Technical definitions were completed for the prototype report on performance indicators scheduled to be published in 1996.

• The first two phases of the provincial data base of student level records was developed to monitor and communicate educational performance. Pilots for collecting the data were carried out at eight school board and campus sites.

• Guidelines were initiated for school districts to assist in providing comprehensive services to students with special needs. These include student assistants, special transportation, and pre-referral intervention.

• A new special education policy was introduced following extensive consultations.

Nova Scotia Community College-Collège de l'Acadie and Apprenticeship Training

• Legislation for self-governance of Collège de l'Acadie and Nova Scotia Community College was introduced. Self-governance, through the Board of Governors, will help the community colleges become competitive and create better training to support economic development.

• A central management structure for the Nova Scotia Community College was developed.

• During this time frame 88 community college programs were assessed to continue to achieve program renewal and relevance in the Community College system.

• Thirteen new community college programs were introduced and curriculum was developed, creating 57 new programming sections.

• Distance education programming at Collège de l'Acadie was expanded with the opening of learning centres in Petit de Grat and St. Joseph-du-Moine.

• Sales of customized training through the Nova Scotia Community College were increased to approximately $9 million.

• The Nova Scotia Provincial Apprenticeship Board was restructured and made operational. Board recommendations to expand designated trades to include all Red Seal occupations were accepted and implemented.

• A 1-800 number was established, an apprenticeship video was completed and distributed, an interactive computer-based apprenticeship information system was developed and implemented, and a Provincial Apprenticeship Board Roundtable on Apprenticeship was conducted. Each of these initiatives has resulted in an overall improvement of service and has increased the availability of information to Nova Scotians.

Universities

• An integrated set of recommendations for changes in policies, practices, and structure to foster sustainability and opportunity for the university system were presented to government, universities, and the public at large.

• The development of the metro consortium of universities for cost-efficiency and academic rationalization was facilitated.

• A study on university financing, which involved an external committee and active involvement in extensive consultations, was initiated and published.

• The restructuring of the teacher education system, carried out under the jurisdiction of the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents, was facilitated and monitored. This involved the closure of the teacher education programs at Dalhousie and Saint Mary's Universities and the redeployment of the majority of faculty potentially displaced as a result of restructuring.

• Regional initiatives took place to create distance education partnerships.

• The development and funding of the Prior Learning Assessment Centre, which will serve as a pilot project and policy research centre for matching adult learners with university and college opportunities, was facilitated.

• In partnership with the Nova Scotia Economic Renewal Agency, revenue generation and economic renewal initiatives for universities and the community colleges were explored.

Lifelong Learning

• Curriculum materials and training modules were developed to support the learning needs of adults with disabilities.

• French curriculum materials to support Acadian and Francophone adult learners were developed in partnership with Acadian-Francophone community organizations.

• Workplace education programs and extended partnerships were established in business and industry across the province to embed adult learning opportunities as an integral part of community development.

• Programs were implemented that will create approximately 3,000 career-related internship opportunities for post-secondary students in Nova Scotia by the year 2000.

• Public access terminals for access to NcompasS (automated library system and electronic network) and Internet were provided in 50 public library sites.

• The delivery of the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) was re-engineered to better meet the needs of all Nova Scotians and to reduce duplication of service.

• The Community Learning Initiative was expanded to include 17 new programs to advance learners' skills to a grade 12 level, serving 300 learners across the province.

Heritage and Culture

• A Cultural Enterprises Policy with ERA, which will ensure that cultural and heritage producers have access to all programs designed to support business and industrial development in Nova Scotia, was announced and implemented.

• The process was begun to establish a Nova Scotia Arts Council to administer grants to individual artists and organizations.

• A provincial cultural policy, which will involve extensive public consultations, was initiated.

• In preparation for implementation of a new grant system based on performance standards and service to the public, 50 community museums were evaluated.

Departmental

• The new Education Bill to support student success and promote partnerships, shared responsibilities, and effective use of resources was enacted.

• An African Canadian Services Division with responsibility for developing and coordinating public school and adult education programs and services for Black Nova Scotians was established.

• A Council on African Canadian Education was established through the new Education Act to provide guidance to the Minister.

• A Council on Mi'kmaq Education was established through the new Education Act to provide guidance to the Minister.

• Ednet, a Wide Area Network, was established to serve the data and Internet communications requirements (including public access) at community college campuses and learning centres, public libraries, museums, and department offices; with an option for public schools, school boards, and cultural organizations.

• A comprehensive study of the utilization of information technology within the department was conducted to prepare a three-year IT strategy and to establish roles, responsibilities, and appropriate staffing of the MIS function.

• Improved client service and technology applications in the Teacher Certification Office have improved turnaround times on all service inquiries by approximately 50 per cent.

• A memorandum of understanding concluded with a private sector company will provide elementary/secondary education programs in the Peoples Republic of China.

Priorities 1996-97

• Implement the restructuring of the public school system and amalgamation of school boards in the province to meet changing needs, reflect redefined roles and responsibilities, reduce administrative costs, and redirect savings to the classroom.

• Assist students to improve learning through a regional approach to curriculum development and assessment in language arts, mathematics, and science. Ensure that the needs of all students are supported through the development and implementation of specific policies, programs, and resources to meet the needs of the diverse communities that make up Nova Scotia society.

• Improve the preparation of youth and adults for participation in the labour market by developing and improving internship opportunities, adult education, and workplace education programs, and by developing and implementing new systems for accreditation and certification of adult learning.

• Implement self-governance legislation for the Nova Scotia Community College and the Collège de l'Acadie, and put in place a Board of Governors for the two colleges.

• Facilitate and monitor implementation of changes in structure, policy, and delivery within the framework of government's decisions on the recommendations of the Council Report "Shared Responsibilities in Higher Education" and the Metro Universities Business Plan.

• Build on Nova Scotia's cultural strengths by establishing the operation of the Nova Scotia Arts Council/Conseil des arts de la Nouvelle- Écosse, and by developing a provincial cultural policy based on province-wide public consultations to provide for improved and focused decision making on cultural initiatives.

• Continue to initiate public-private sector partnerships to provide technology-rich schools.

• Further develop the department's presence on the Internet to increase public awareness of, and access to, departmental information and services.

• Establish the Council on African Canadian Education and the Council on Mi'kmaq Education.

• Implement a new policy regarding grants to community museums, based on evaluation of performance and service to the public.

• Conduct a province-wide public attitude survey relating to services provided in public libraries.

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