Portables and Modular Classrooms as Temporary Solutions in Nova Scotia Schools
Nova Scotia has invested $162 million over the past four years in modular and portable classrooms to accommodate up to 6,000 students in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). These structures serve as short-term solutions to address overcrowding in schools.
Concerns Over Long-Term Use
Despite being described as temporary, these standalone classrooms have raised concerns about their permanence. NDP education critic and former teacher Paul Wozney highlighted key differences between portable classrooms and traditional school buildings.
“As a classroom teacher who has taught in both types of structures, there are fundamental differences between those and classrooms inside school buildings,” Wozney said at the legislature’s public accounts committee.
Wozney noted that portables typically contain a single classroom without bathrooms or running water. Since 2017, the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) has added 53 new portable classrooms.
“Portables contain one classroom and no bathrooms or running water. HRCE indicated that there are 53 new portables in use since 2017. I’m wondering if the department has a long-term strategy to move all students currently learning in portables into permanent buildings, or are portables merely here to stay?”
Growth in School Enrollment
The rise in school enrollment has contributed significantly to the reliance on modular classrooms. In the HRCE area alone, school enrollment has increased by 24% over the past decade, outpacing projections and challenging school planners.
This unexpected growth has forced provincial planners to rely on portable and modular classrooms to quickly relieve capacity pressures, although officials maintain these are temporary measures.
Summary
Nova Scotia's substantial investment in portable classrooms addresses urgent overcrowding but raises critical questions about their long-term role in education infrastructure.