By Tyler Marr

MP expresses northern education concerns in Ottawa

May 21, 2017 | 4:05 PM

Frustration over the apparent lack of communication between the provincial government and northern school divisions has made its way to Ottawa.

Georgina Jolibois, NDP Member of Parliament for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, spoke of the proposed changes to northern school boundaries in her Member Statement last week.

“The TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) calls for changes to be made in education and the full participation and informed consent of Aboriginal people,” she said. 

“This is not happening. This is disrespectful. No one has told the North why any change is necessary and I am afraid this will put Canada on the wrong side of history with Aboriginal people once again.”

After the Saskatchewan budget was announced in March, four committees were established to look at a number of areas in education, including division boundaries.

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Boundaries were initially to see tweaks and minor changes. This has since been ramped up into a top priority for the ministry. 

Earlier in the month, the Northern Lights School Division (NLSD) released a glaring video that accused the government of treating Aboriginal people with “disrespect and contempt,” and said the minister of education had ignored requests to meet.

The provincial Ministry of Education has said any communities potentially affected by boundary change would be consulted before moving forward.

These moves prompted letters and outreach to Jolibois and drove her to take the issue to the floor of the House of Commons. In doing so, she hoped this would force the government to engage more at the local level.

“When I heard what the province was doing, by not consulting with community members about the changes they are implementing, it is a step away from [accordance] to the TRC,” she said in an interview. 

Jolibois was discouraged by the province not fulfilling the responsibilities and recommendations put forward by the commission and urged them to seek further input from northern communities.

She heralded the northern school divisions for the significant progress they have made with the youngest and most vulnerable Aboriginal children and said the “threat of boundary changes will disrupt this progress.”

For her, the issue spoke to more than just difficulties in communication.

“Across Canada, children are falling through the cracks,” she said. “Children are not receiving support services or any kind of services. Some young people are either committing suicide or getting killed and have a difficult time.”

Some of the onus fell on the backs of the federal government, according to Jolibois, who said they have sidestepped adopting the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Rights and made few moves to implement recommendations from the TRC.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr