Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 16/98) - Students in Fort Resolution have taken their concerns about their school's leadership to the picket line.

Deninoo school students walked out of class Friday morning after what they are calling years of frustration when it comes to trying to get the school to listen to them.

Grade 10 student Kirstin Boucher said the focus of the criticism is geared toward the school's principal Denrick Richardson.

"It's time for a change," she said. "We told him what we were going to do and he didn't say anything."

Richardson, who has been at the school for 11 years, said he doesn't understand what the students want him to do.

"I really don't understand what they're doing, what they want," he said.

Richardson said neither the students nor the parents have ever come to see him with their concerns.

"I can't make any further comment because I don't know what this is all about," he said on Friday.

However, Kirstin's father, Paul Boucher, tells a different story.

"The kids just can't seem to communicate with him," he said.

He maintains that the dissatisfaction grew after the pre-school was closed at Deninoo.

"The last straw was when he closed the pre-school with only one-hour-and-a-half notice," he said.

Boucher also said the parents have gone to the local Divisional Education Board about their difficulties, but they haven't listened to them either.

"If the South Slave Education Board is not going to do anything about it, then there's something wrong with the South Slave Education Board," he said.

By not answering their concerns, he added, the school board is implying that the needs of the students and the community are not important to them.

"To me, that says that the DEA is not interested... why is that? What are they trying to hide," he asked.

"To me, the school is there to be a safe learning environment for our kids."

The South Slave Divisional Education Council were unavailable for comment.