Teaching in Nova Scotia Public Schools
Section 44 of Nova Scotia's Education Act mandates that a teacher must be certified or hold a teaching permit in order to teach in the public schools of Nova Scotia.
It should be noted that teaching permits are only granted in situations where attempts to hire certified teachers have proven unsuccessful. Prospective teachers in Nova Scotia should expect they will need to be certified in the province in order to be employed by a Regional Centre for Education/CSAP.
Prospective applicants for teacher certification in Nova Scotia are informed that there can be significant differences in jurisdictional requirements for teacher certification. While Chapter Seven of the Agreement on Internal Trade may provide for recognition of teacher certification between provinces, the level (classification) of certification granted in each province may vary significantly. Such variance can lead to significant salary differences between jurisdictions. Certified teachers (in Nova Scotia or elsewhere) who intend to seek certification in other jurisdictions, are strongly recommended to research the implications of becoming certified in a different jurisdiction.
Teacher certification in Nova Scotia is governed by provisions of the Education Act (the "Act"), the Teacher Certification Regulations (the "Regulations"), the Nova Scotia Teacher Certification Handbook 2001 including amendments (the "handbook") and the Teachers’ Provincial Agreement (TPA).
Prospective applicants for teacher certification in Nova Scotia should be aware that on August 1, 2000 the Regulations were updated with classifications of teacher certificates in Nova Scotia. Subsequent amendments to the Regulations enable some applicants to be assessed and classified on the basis of the classifications and requirements of the pre-August 1, 2000 teacher certification system while other applicants must be assessed and classified on the basis of the post-July 31, 2000 teacher certification system.