The issue with the elders, it looks like it’s going to be another year longer. We’ve been talking for a couple of years on this. It seems so simple, yet we make it so complicated to put elders into our schools. We talk about our culture; we talk about tradition, supporting seniors or elders. Somehow when it’s in our government system it makes it very difficult, because there are so many rules and regulations that prevent an elder from coming into our school to teach, to get them in the system. Certainly this system shows me that it doesn’t really support our elders. We say it’s nice, we say it’s good, but we certainly don’t do it. That’s my point here. A lot of these elders, we want them in our schools. They come in voluntarily, but then the federal government hits them because if they earn pay, they get a reduction in their pension cheques. The elders also complain to us that the teachers are there, they get paid, so we should also get paid for passing on the information, knowledge.
Not like the old days. A lot of these elders also pass away. We say we wish we had them in there.
I like what the Minister is saying, but not too much because it’s next year, the year after. So I’m going to have to wait, I guess, until the new government comes. I sure hope these words that he’s saying can be put in strongly by his department so the elders can actually go in the school. Why it takes so long, I don’t understand. Put them in the school. You want our kids to stay in school and help? We have it right there, but we’re not doing it.
So I sure hope the Minister can sit with his officials again and figure out a way to do something, because they certainly work fast on other issues. The system supports them. But not for our elders. That’s a shame of this government here, this department. That, I truly can say. We can’t say much. It’s like beating a dead horse in terms of trying to put elders into our school. I’ve been up here how many times? Next year it’s this, it’s this. Still can’t see them in our school system.
I’m passionate about it because a lot of good elders passed away in our communities that should have taught in our schools. I do support the Minister to work as much as he can to make this a reality. I thought for sure we were going to do it within this government, within this Assembly, but that’s not the case. So again, I’ll just say to the Minister you’re the man, make it happen. You’ve got the power. People are going to support you. It’s our education. It’s our culture. You can do it. But it seems that we have to wait longer again.
I want to thank you for listening to my frustration. Hopefully we can do something.