GNWT finds $14M to help schools hit by Jordan’s Principle changes

The NWT government is rolling out a $14-million plan to pay for educational assistant positions previously funded by Jordan’s Principle.

Schools in the territory say they’ve been unable to renew Jordan’s Principle funding for dozens of educational assistants since the federal government made changes to the program earlier this year.

Ottawa says it is trying to stop abuse of the program and focus the available money on areas where First Nations children most need support, but the GNWT has said losing the cash for educational assistants means years of progress is being abandoned.

The Jordan’s Principle problem in three stories
From May: Northern ministers to lobby Ottawa over Jordan’s Principle changes
From June: YK1 says Jordan’s Principle cuts mean 79 jobs set to be lost
From July: Ottawa working on new vision for Jordan’s Principle in fall budget

At a Thursday news conference, education minister Caitlin Cleveland said up to $14 million will be made available to schools across the territory where education bodies can show federal funding for educational assistants – also known as support assistants – was either denied outright or has been delayed.

“The GNWT will work collaboratively with education bodies to ensure they have the funding they need to support students and educators in the new school year,” the territory stated in an accompanying news release.

The territorial funding will be known as the Support Assistants Initiative. It is a temporary measure, the GNWT stressed.

“Support assistants are vital to inclusive education in the NWT. They contribute to the social and emotional development of students, particularly those facing trauma, intergenerational impacts of colonialism, and mental health challenges. Their presence fosters trust, safety and connection in school environments,” the GNWT stated.

“Indigenous governments, MLAs, and families are united with the GNWT in calling for action. The North has been clear and consistent: we’re ready to work together, but Ottawa needs to follow through.”

Funds will cover existing EAs

Federal ministers have said they are reviewing the changes to Jordan’s Principle, which were made in the Trudeau government’s final months and from which some current ministers have tried to distance themselves.

However, Ottawa has said it will not rush to make more changes, despite the GNWT pleading for urgent action.

The GNWT said education bodies can access the $14-million fund on the condition that they also “apply any existing surpluses toward support assistant positions.”

At a Thursday press conference, Cleveland said the aim of the fund was to cover the “existing cohort” of educational assistants across the territory – around 200 had been funded through Jordan’s Principle – on a temporary basis.

Previously, Cleveland had said the territory did not have the money available to step in and replace the Jordan’s Principle funding schools previously received.

But on Thursday, the GNWT said it was acting after the loss of Jordan’s Principle funding resulted in “immediate impacts on territorial schools, leading to layoffs of support assistants, staffing disruptions, and a widening gap in service delivery challenges that disproportionately affect schools in smaller or remote communities.”

From June: Did Indigenous Services Canada know the NWT has almost no reserves?

While the GNWT said it had “consistently called for a sustainable, federally supported model that addresses the needs of all Indigenous students,” the territory said it needed to step in – on an emergency basis – to “ensure continuity of services as the school year begins.”

“Timely action is crucial. Students, families, and schools require stability and clarity. The Support Assistant Initiative aims to bridge the gap and maintain essential services while the GNWT continues to advocate for long-term, systemic solutions,” the territory stated.

Where the $14 million is coming from was not immediately specified. The GNWT’s federal borrowing limit increased from $1.8 billion to $3.1 billion in March, giving the territory the ability to take on more debt than was recently the case.

At the time, the territorial government said the higher cap gave it an enhanced “ability to respond to expenditure shocks.”

The $14-million figure was arrived at based on the expected cost of funding assistants across the territory for the time being.

The next problem for the NWT and its schools will be finding people to take the jobs. Many educational assistants who were told earlier this summer that there jobs were going may have since moved on with their lives.

“We have already reached out to staff to ask them if they’re interested in being on our guest teacher list,” YK1 superintendent Shirley Zouboules told reporters on Thursday. “That’s our first plan.”

Zouboules said a “significant number” of affected staff were already returning as substitute teachers.

Federal agency responds

Indigenous Services Canada is the agency responsible for administering Jordan’s Principle funding, which is designed to help First Nations children.

In a statement provided to Cabin Radio moments after the GNWT’s announcement, Indigenous Services Canada maintained its stance that the territorial government should be treated like a provincial government – an assessment with which the territory has disagreed.

“In Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, territorial governments oversee elementary and secondary education for all residents, including First Nations. Consequently, Indigenous Services Canada does not provide core funding for these levels of education to First Nations in these territories, unlike in provinces where Indigenous Services Canada supports on-reserve systems,” Indigenous Services Canada stated.

The federal agency pointed to federal transfer payments as a mechanism by which it already helps to fund education and public services.

“For Jordan’s Principle, each request is considered on a case-by-case basis with the required documentation, taking into account the distinct needs of the child and gaps in other programs or services. Certain types of school-related requests will no longer be approved, unless required by substantive equality or linked to the specific health, social or educational need of the First Nations child,” Indigenous Services Canada continued.

“Indigenous Services Canada is working with Indigenous and territorial partners to strengthen collaboration and together ensure that First Nations children in the Northwest Territories have equal access to services that meet their distinct needs.”

At Thursday’s news conference, Cleveland reiterated the GNWT’s opposition to Indigenous Services Canada’s assessment of the situation.

“Life is different in the North. We operate differently in the North. We have limited ways to pivot and fund federal programs that are no longer funded by the federal government,” Cleveland said. “We don’t have deep pockets.”

The minister said she had been told to expect more “clarity on this” once the federal budget rolls out in the fall.

“We are watching very closely,” Cleveland said.