What we don't know about Bill 72, even as it's about to become law

The Liberal government's bill to reform education administration in Nova Scotia will become law sometime this week. And while some questions raised about Bill 72 have been addressed through amendments, others remain.

Here's a list of some of the aspects of the bill that have yet to be fully addressed and await more detail:

School closures

Both the auditor general and education consultant Avis Glaze have told the government it needs a new way to review schools and decide whether to close them. Because Bill 72 eliminates elected school boards, that responsibility now falls to the government. Education Minister Zach Churchill says work on a new process is happening, but cannot provide a timeline for when it will be complete.

School advisory council makeup

The government says the local voice lost with the dissolution of school boards will be replaced by school advisory councils (SAC) for every school. There is a process now for establishing SACs, which addresses their size and composition. Churchill says the approach will likely be similar under Bill 72, but notes there is work to do to get more people engaged in their SAC, as not every school currently has one. The bill grants the ability for multiple schools to form regional SACs, but that process also lacks detail.

What this means for French schools

Bill 72 creates a separate Education Act for English schools, with the promise one will be coming for French schools —and soon, according to Churchill. But while the Glaze Report called for French schools represented by the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) to maintain their own board and for members to continue to be elected, Tory MLA Chris d'Entremont — an Acadian — worries that could set the stage for either a two-tiered system or resentment from the English community toward the CSAP.

While Acadians are guaranteed cultural protection under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, d'Entremont noted financial support for programs and services depends on the province's English majority.

"I really don't want to see people looking suspiciously over the CSAP saying, 'Well, how come they're getting more than we are,' because it doesn't help the cause," he said.

While he supports the idea of separate Education Acts in theory, d'Entremont said "the devil is in the details" and he hopes government is mindful of the possibility of creating undue discontent.