GNWT halts jr kindergarten in Yellowknife
Money still being clawed back to pay for program in smaller communities
Randi Beers
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 31, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The territorial government will wait for findings from an eight-month review before it decides how to proceed with junior kindergarten in Yellowknife and other regional centres, Premier Bob McLeod announced yesterday in the legislative assembly.
The controversial funding model, which will scoop approximately $1.4 million from Yellowknife Education District No. 1 and Yellowknife Catholic Schools this fiscal year and next, will not change.
Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny criticized the announcement, saying the premier didn't address the most contentious aspect of the junior kindergarten roll out - who is going to pay for it.
"We know the rollout in 23 communities was done with an ill-conceived funding model, cleverly funded through school boards and district authorities," he said.
"Why was the funding component purposefully referred to as a no change approach?"
McLeod didn't provide a rationale but acknowledged Yk1 will lose $649,000 and Catholic schools will lose $799,000 over the next two fiscal years.
He said Yk1 had accumulated a surplus of $2.5 million and the Catholic school board had accumulated surpluses of $1.4 million.
The premier added that costs of the program are being absorbed by school boards across the territory, not just Yellowknife.
Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro added her own criticism to the unchanged funding model. She asked McLeod why, if cabinet doesn't know how junior kindergarten will roll out after this winter's review is complete, it's still reducing its funding to Yellowknife school districts for the upcoming fiscal year.
The premier reiterated that the capital isn't the only community targeted for funding redistribution.
Bisaro then asked how the legislated pupil-to-teacher ratio can be enforced across the territory.
"If all the schools are over-funded and our legislation says we should be funding a pupil-to-teacher ratio for 16 to one,
"I want to say that the only schools needing a 16 to one pupil-to-teacher ratio are Yellowknife schools,"
said Bisaro.
"If the premier intends to enforce this or reduce dollars so we are 16 to one, is he going to enforce this in every school across the territory? Some are five to one."
McLeod said his government has to adhere to legislation, which says the government is over-funding education by $17.5 million.
"We take these things very seriously," he said.
Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen thanked cabinet for the announcement and asked Education Minister Jackson Lafferty to confirm his department will consult directly with Aboriginal Head Start and other organizations that offer early childhood programs.
"When the original junior kindergarten plan was rolled it out, it caused instability, uncertainty and insecurity for (non-governmental organizations) and private operators," she said.
"Just to be clear, I want to confirm all those folks should not be looking for other jobs."
In his answer, Lafferty reiterated his commitment to reach out to early childhood service providers over the coming months.
