Nova Scotia Auditor General Finds Education Spending Not Translating Into Student Gains
A new report from Nova Scotia Auditor General Kim Adair criticizes the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for failing to use provincial assessment results to set measurable targets or improve student outcomes, despite a 31% funding increase over five years. The government has accepted all 11 recommendations.
Nova Scotia Auditor General Kim Adair has released a report criticizing the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for failing to establish measurable targets or goals based on Provincial Learning Assessment (PLANS) results. According to the Office of the Auditor General, the lack of clear objectives prevents the effective use of assessment data to guide education policy and investment.
The province allocated $2.65 billion to public education for the 2025-26 fiscal year, representing a 31% increase compared to five years prior. Despite this additional funding, the auditor general found that student performance in writing and math has stagnated or declined.
Provincial assessments for Grades 3, 6, and 8 evaluate approximately 75,000 students annually at a cost of about $700,000. Administering these tests takes four days each year. The report highlights that there is no clear link between these assessment results and teacher professional development or resource allocation. Furthermore, public transparency is compromised because results are posted in obscure locations without accompanying media releases.
Data from the 2024-25 school year shows that fewer than half of Grade 3 students (43%) and Grade 6 students (49%) met provincial writing expectations. By Grade 8, 72% of students met writing expectations. In reading, 74% of Grade 3 students, 72% of Grade 6 students, and 67% of Grade 8 students met expectations.
Math performance declines as students progress through the grades. In 2024-25, 77% of Grade 3 students met math expectations, compared to 69% in Grade 6 and only 54% in Grade 8.
NDP Leader Claudia Chender described the auditor general's findings regarding the management of the education system as "damning." She noted that increased funding has not led to the desired results for students.
In the February budget, approximately 27 math and literacy support specialists were re-deployed to regular classrooms, reducing the number of new hires needed to fill vacancies. This move resulted in 80 teaching positions being eliminated across Nova Scotia, raising concerns that support for struggling students in math and literacy may be reduced.
The provincial government has accepted all 11 recommendations made by the auditor general, which include establishing measurable targets and improving transparency. Officials committed to implementing the recommendations during the next school year.