‘Really upsetting’: N.S. mom says son with autism can’t attend school full time due to staffing
A Nova Scotia parent says a lack of EPAs at her son's school means he hasn't been able to attend school full time, and it's unclear when he might be able to do so.
A Nova Scotia mother is expressing her frustration over her son with autism being unable to attend school full-time due to a lack of educational program assistants (EPA). Trinity Gosby's son, Zane, has been attending partially since the start of the school year on September 3, missing out on activities and inclusion. Gosby claims that Zane, who has a tendency to run or wander away, requires an EPA for his safety.
The family recently changed schools, and Gosby was informed four days before classes began that Zane wouldn't be joining his peers on the first day due to a lack of EPA availability. Despite reaching out to other schools in the area, she has encountered the same issue. CUPE Local 5047 president Shelley McNeil reports similar concerns from other EPAs, stating that the inclusion policy is becoming exclusionary due to insufficient staff.
HRCE spokesperson Lindsey Bunin explains that staffing is allocated based on student needs, but acknowledges the importance of appropriate staffing levels. Gosby feels her son's human rights are being violated, as his schooling disruption has caused chaos in their lives.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
