News Release

Smith Challenges Education Minister Purves on School Closure Review

(Wednesday, April 24, 2002)- Education Minister Jane Purves was quoted today as stating that she will have her staff review the decision regarding the closure of Beaufort School and the transfer of students.

HRM Councillor Jim Smith, District 9, Albro Lake-Harbourview , suggested, "It may or may not be appropriate for the Minister to review the closure of Beaufort School, but where was she when schools in Dartmouth were being closed ?" He added, " Where was the Minister when there were obvious flaws in the procedure to close Northbrook School and what was her response when the parents of Northbrook schoolchildren asked her to step in and put a stop to the injustice?"

Councillor Smith stated that the Minister refused to get involved and that the decision forced the parents to seek court action and obligated them to raise over $20,000, in order to do so.

He suggested that all of the grief could have been avoided if the Education Minister would have had her staff review the "flawed" process at the time. Councillor Smith asked," Are we seeing a double standard here because Beaufort School is in the Minister's constituency or does the Minister realize she should have reviewed the Northbrook closure process last year?"

The councillor stated that the Dartmouth residents deserve the same consideration which is now being given to the Halifax area residents."Perhaps it is not to late to do the right thing- review the Dartmouth School closures", he said.

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Jim Smith
Councillor District 9
Albro Lake- Harbourview
Halifax Regional Municipality
(902) 490-4692/(902)488-4809