Former school board members eager to join replacement body

Former Halifax Regional School Board members Gin Yee and ArchyBealsbelieve the McNeil government was wrong to dissolve seven of Nova Scotia's eight school boards last spring.

But both have applied to sit on the advisorybody set up to guide education policy and advise the minister of education on spending.

"It was something I thought long and hard about and I wasn't going to apply," said Beals.

But, according to him,community support convinced him to change his mind.

"I think I have a lot to offer," he said.

Decision to apply an easy one for Yee

Yee and Beals were both part of a 22-member team put together to smooth the transition between the dissolution of the boards and the creation of the new Provincial Advisory Council on Education.

For Yee, first elected to the Halifax board in 2004 and re-elected three times, the decision to apply for this new role was an easy one.

"I've enjoyedrepresenting and serving and this is an opportunityto serve," he said.

"I think school boards did excellent work but [I] also understand that they have the ultimate say on it so I personally have moved on."

Twelve spots available to the public

The two men are among the 133 people who have applied for the 12 spots available to the public.

Three other seats will go tothe Conseil scolaire acadien provincial the last remaining school board the Council on Mi'kmaqEducation and the Council on African Canadian Education.

Education Minister Zach Churchill is happy to see so many people are interested in helping shape the school system.

"I think people really care about the education system in the province," he said. "I think it's really exciting."

Churchill is also encouraged that former board members want to be on the council.

"These folks bring valuable lived experience in their school systems in their regions and we're looking for a wide variety of experiences and outlook so we can have different viewpoints to help us make decisions."

'It's a good time to be involved'

"It's a good time to be involved in the education system in Nova Scotia," said Churchill. "We're making a lot of critical changes.

"We're making major investments and putting supports in place that are brand new to the system and folks involved in this group will actually help us in terms of moving forward and making these critical investments and policy decisions."

Unlike school board members who could serve indefinitely, council members can only serve two terms, each two years long.

Churchillis hoping to have the council members chosen and the advisory body up and running by the end of September.

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