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 Alaittuq high school student council member Michelle Jackson, left , is one of many students who felt ignored in the decision-making process affecting their school. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
The DEA decided students at AHS will move back to Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik (MUI) to start the next school term.
The plan calls for MUI to house Grades 7 through 12, while AHS would change to Simon Alaittuq school and house Grade 5 and 6.
DEA chairperson Stan Anderson said capacity issues necessitated the switch.
He said, to date, the DEA has still not received a definitive answer on how many students can operate out of AHS, with estimates ranging from 160 to 176.
"The DEA has identified, in its regular planning process for next year, that 210 to 220 students will attend high school next year if everybody shows up," said Anderson.
"MUI has a much larger capacity than AHS, as well as shop, home economic and music facilities.
"The school also has a large gym and track."
Anderson said some people in the community feel the DEA didn't seek as much input into the decision as it possibly could have.
He said time constraints prevented DEA members from doing as much community consultation as they would have liked and, in light of that, aren't surprised by the opposition to the switch.
"Most of these people are upset over the fact they weren't properly consulted during the process.
"I'm sure they will come to realize this was the best decision, but they don't like how the process unfolded."
Feeling left out
Michelle Jackson is a Grade 11 student at AHS and a student council member.
She said Anderson is dead on target with his assumption that students are upset because they weren't told the issue was being discussed.
"The students may have been fine with it if we had been a part of the process, but our opinion wasn't even taken into consideration and we felt left out about that," said Jackson.
"The DEA should have realized how important this would be to us."
A group of students did express their concerns to the DEA after finding out about the decision.
Jackson said students were left completely in the dark about the switch until a teacher informed them a day after the decision was finalized.
"We were told the teachers weren't allowed to tell the students about it because they're not supposed to influence our opinions, but not telling us was even worse," Jackson said. "Although we were given the chance to express our concerns to the DEA after the fact, it was too late to change anything."
Their school, their memories
Jackson said the vast majority of students don't want to move to MUI.
She said some students didn't have a very good experience at MUI and don't want to go back there.
"It's a privilege to go to AHS. We like our school and we've made it our own.
"Our memories are here and we don't want to leave it."
AHS students are seriously discussing holding walkouts to protest the decision.
Jackson said they are also talking about making a gesture they hope will help future students if similar situations ever arise.
"We're talking about giving the DEA a symbolic piece of AHS, in hopes they will remember this situation when they make their next major decision.
"If they look at the symbol and remember the students at AHS -- maybe the next time they're talking about something that affects students' lives they'll come and ask for our opinions, too."
Anderson said although the DEA respects what it heard from the students, even more people presented reasons why the decision makes sense.
He said those who voiced their opinions to the DEA were, at least, two to one in favour of the motion.
"As a board, the DEA feels it made not only a good decision, but the right decision.
"Maybe, if we had it to do all over again, we might have handled the process a bit differently.
"But there is nothing we've heard that convinces us that we wouldn't have came up with the same decision."
