Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT is a whale amongst its minnows. That’s right, that is exactly how I would describe the current relationship the Department of Education has with its school boards, its DECs and DEAs in the NWT.
If the recent botched funding model for Junior Kindergarten doesn’t have you spinning your head by now, then brace for impact as things are going to get a whole lot worse. I am about to add another layer of bureaucratic bullying on how this department is cunningly avoiding its legal obligation to the court-ordered expansion of one of its francophone schools.
While we preach a Safe School Policy of protecting our students within our schools, maybe we should equally be drafting legislation to protect our school boards from being bullied by the department itself because there is no other way to describe these meaningless acts of intimidation and exploitation. Let me explain.
In September 2013, the GNWT approached YK1 and the Commission scolaire francophone, CSF, to seek an expedient and cost-effective alternative to the court-ordered expansion to Ecole Alain St. Cyr. These exploratory discussions involved the review of existing underutilized YK1 space and the needs for the CSF students to determine if alternatives to the court order for additional YK1 space could be found.
As many know, YK1 owns its schools and are operating on low occupancy rates on average. For the GNWT, this was a perfect out to consider constructing another school and they made the YK1 establish a facilities committee to do their dirty work and make YK1 decide a sacrificial lamb. Around here, Mr. Speaker, the code words for that are “school swap.”
Throughout this process, the GNWT would categorically denounce any wrongdoing by washing its hands clean, citing it was relying on YK1 to determine its future changes and programming or to surplus a school.
The department will say that this was its obligation to explore a way to save taxpayer money, because according to the bureaucracy, this is no different than asking a government department to absorb reductions or get rid of unnecessary duplication. Wrong, Mr. Speaker. This is not a government department slash and burn exercise. These are neighbourhood schools we are talking about. This is about families. This is about children being treated like analytical statistics for an appropriation expenditure.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted