N.S. passes contentious education bill that removes principals from union

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s teachers’ union is slamming the passage of a contentious bill that makes sweeping reforms to the education system.

The governing Liberals used their majority to pass Bill 72 by a vote of 25-21 late Thursday, one week after it was introduced by Education Minister Zach Churchill.

The legislation dissolves the province’s seven regional school boards as of March 31 and replaces them with a 15-member provincial advisory council, while keeping local school advisory councils in place along with board administrations. 

In another contentious move it takes principals, vice-principals and senior supervisory staff from the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and rolls them into a new association affiliated with the union.