Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to share the reality of the Grade 1 and 2 class in Moose Kerr School in Aklavik. It is a combined class of 18 students. It has a teacher and one assistant. That is based on the funding formula that the Department of Education uses with their regional authorities. The funding is not based on what the school and its students actually need.
The Grade 1 and 2 class have students who are struggling to master kindergarten expectations along with those who are almost at Grade 2 level. Some have severe special needs. One student is a runner, who will not participate in classroom learning and needs constant watching. It is a safety issue as well as a learning issue when a classroom assistant is busy with another student.
This fall four non-verbal students will be entering this classroom from kindergarten. They will join other students who need one-on-one support. Two students are working with speech pathologists. Altogether, three-quarters of the class need one-on-one attention.
Past experience at the Aklavik school shows that students who cannot read at grade level by the end of Grade 2 continue to struggle in later years. These students need help now. Grade 1 and 2 students need to be separated for math. This move has been a success at Moose Kerr School, although one teacher and one assistant cannot do all that.
The local education authority is asking for another teacher. It has been refused by the Beaufort-Delta Education Authority. As always, there is no money to fund what is an extra position according to the department’s formula. I cannot accept that answer, Mr. Speaker. That answer means that we value the formula more than the students. That answer means that we will condemn children to a life with only…