Maintaining services key to Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority review process

The board of directors of the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA) says that maintaining high-quality services for the region's deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, blind, and visually-impaired will be paramount as the organization responds to an administrative review presented on February 1.

"The reviewers stressed the high quality of service provided by APSEA and nothing is more important than preserving that," said Dennis Cochrane, board chair and deputy minister of education for Nova Scotia.

"The review was more about administration than services - it's time to update some of our practices. We're going to do that as a matter of good management, but we'll be careful not to jeopardize APSEA's valuable services."

The review looked at governance, financial organization, and program structure both provincially and at the APSEA centre in Halifax.

APSEA is operated by the four Atlantic provinces to provide educational services for students who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, blind, or visually-iimpaired.

Mr. Cochrane said he expects there will be administrative change at APSEA, but there are no preconceptions as to what it will be.

"We are going into this process with an open mind," he said. "And any changes will be introduced gradually."

A committee of APSEA administrators and government representatives will carry out consultations and prepare a response for submission to the board in May.

The Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority was established in 1975 by the ministers of education of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

APSEA's staff of 240 provides educational services, programs, and opportunities for persons up to 21 years of age who are residents of Atlantic Canada.

Operational costs are shared among the four Atlantic provinces.

The APSEA Centre is based in Halifax, and provides supports to provincial programs with such services as assessment, resource services, audiology, braille transcription and a short-term residential program..

Media contact:
Bill Turpin, Nova Scotia Department of Education, (902) 424-3150, e-mail: turpinsw@gov.ns.ca
Lynn Salter, Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education, (709) 729-0048, 685-5000

2005 02 22                   4:05 p.m.