Yellowknife’s YK1 school district says 79 educational assistants stand to lose their jobs because of changes to federal Jordan’s Principle funding.
Jordan’s Principle is a legal obligation the federal government is required to fulfill to ensure that First Nations children have equal access to services.
Among other changes outlined in February, the federal government said Jordan’s Principle funding requests from schools located off-reserve would not be approved unless required by “substantive equity.”
“While the school district has applied for funding through the program, it continues to await a reply. As such, funding that may have been available to support students in the past has not yet been confirmed,” YK1 stated in a news release late on Tuesday afternoon.
“Because of this, there is an anticipated funding shortfall for next year.
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“Approximately 79 educational assistants who are currently employed in term (temporary) positions were advised that there are no anticipated positions for the next school year.”
Similar decisions have been taken by school districts across Canada in recent weeks. Saskatoon public schools cut 80 positions in a similar move, while Winnipeg’s Hanover school division eliminated 93 positions.
Multiple educators from YK1 were in touch with Cabin Radio as the news was delivered to staff in meetings on Tuesday.
“YK1 has been told that Caitlin Cleveland said there’s absolutely zero funds available from the GNWT to replace this lost funding,” one educator wrote, referring to the NWT’s education minister. They asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive details related to their employment.
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“Classrooms are going to be a shit show next year as far as we know,” the educator added.
Remaining educational assistants “will be assigned to those students and classrooms who require the most support,” YK1 stated.
The extent to which other school districts in the NWT are affected was not immediately clear.
In late May, Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon said for weeks, “schools across the North have watched as their applications for Jordan’s Principle funding for the fall have come back denied, leaving them with a massive funding shortfall.”
According to Edjericon, a school in Łútsël K’é is “losing five full-time education assistants” previously funded through the program. He said a school in Fort Resolution also “stands to lose a significant amount of federal funding.”
“This is a stark example of the chronic underfunding of Indigenous education in our territory,” Edjericon said.
Schools ‘will need to adapt’
Last week, Cleveland said she and counterparts from Nunavut and Yukon would lobby the federal government to reassess the Jordan’s Principle changes.
The Dene Nation said earlier this year that the broader scope of changes to Jordan’s Principle announced in February raised “significant concern.”
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Changes to the program came after the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal released a decision on January 29.
The decision – which followed evidence from the Canadian government that claims for things like modelling headshots and gaming consoles were being paid for through the program – asserted that “this was never what the Tribunal envisioned under Jordan’s Principle.”
However, the ruling also included evidence brought by Dr Ryan Rioux in an affidavit, who spoke to social prescriptions and a holistic lens to the needs of First Nations youth.
“A gaming console that provides a displaced teenager with the ability to reconnect with their online gaming community may provide stability and mental wellness in a time of crisis,” the decision noted.
In an emailed statement to Cabin Radio at the time of February’s changes, Indigenous Services Canada wrote in part: “The changes to our operational procedures are about ensuring long-term sustainability, keeping pace with increased demand, and expediting decision-making – all while staying true to the spirit of Jordan’s Principle.”
On Tuesday, YK1 said schools “will need to adapt to the staffing levels based on our current funding.”
“Schools will have more information in the coming weeks in order to answer questions from families about student supports in the context of these changes,” the district stated.
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