NSNDP

February 13th, 2018

Petite Rivière school saved, a win for rural schools

HALIFAX – A decision today by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court has blocked the closure of Petite Rivière school which the community has been fighting to keep, for years.

“I’m very happy for the families of Petite Rivière,” said Claudia Chender, NDP spokesperson for Education and Early Childhood Education. “The judicial review showed that the process had been unfair, and it's due to the perseverance of this community that they can celebrate today.”

In the 2017 election, the NDP committed to establishing a moratorium on school closures and working with communities to develop proposals that would keep their schools open if that was their goal.

“Strong rural schools are at the heart of strong, vibrant rural communities and should be protected,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “Today’s decision is a win for Petite Rivière, but we need to make sure other small rural schools are given room to succeed.”

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