Yellowknife parents anxious about losing 'invaluable' educational assistants

Sandy Balmer says it was a complete surprise to her, to learn that her son may no longer have an educational assistant available to help him when he starts Grade 7 next year.

"I was stunned to hear that it had come down to this," the Yellowknife mother said. "I had not heard the federal government was looking at Jordan's Principle funding."

Yellowknife Education District No.1 (YK1) said this week that because of the federal government's recent changes to the Jordan's Principle program, it may no longer have the funding to keep 79 of the district's education assistants next school year.

Jordan's Principle was established by Ottawa to ensure that First Nations children get equal access to public services. But concerns about reported misuse of the funding prompted the government earlier this year to make sweeping changes and review its policies and procedures.

Balmer said her son's educational assistant (EA) has been "invaluable" to him and his learning. She says her son has a learning disability and having an EA in the classroom helps him regulate his emotions and maintain his focus. He's had access to an EA since kindergarten.  

"The school recommended that we access Jordan's Principle funding for a classroom assistant for him," Balmer recalled. "He requires just a little bit extra attention, a little bit extra focus and redirection when he's learning."

She says other kids in the classroom have also benefited from having that EA available. The educational assistants "were doing great work," she said.

"Like, he wouldn't be where he is without these people, for sure."

She says she's especially anxious as her son will be starting high school after next year.

"I'm actually quite concerned about how his learning will be supported, if he doesn't have these people in his life."

Schools will 'look and feel different'

YK1 superintendent Shirley Zouboules says it's not clear when officials might get a definitive answer from Ottawa about the funding it's applied for, for next year. That's why the school district gave notice to the 79 EAs that they might not have jobs next school year.

"I have no sense of when we will hear back. As it currently stands, we have not heard back directly on any of the applications that we have submitted," Zouboules said on Thursday morning.

Losing those positions means YK1 schools "are going to look and feel different," she said.

"Certainly it's going to have an impact," she said. "It's going to be significant. We have a staff of 330 currently — that includes all of our teachers and support — and we'll lose 24 per cent."

Zouboules said YK1 has funding right now for 39 EAs for next year.

CBC News requested an interview with N.W.T. Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland about the changes to Jordan's Principle and what it could mean for the territory's schools. A department spokesperson said Cleveland was not available for an interview as she was in Ottawa meeting with officials and advocating for the continuation of the "incredibly important" program.  

Asked whether the education department might now fill any funding gap, spokesperson Christina Carrigan said in an email to CBC News that "the focus right now is on advocating to the federal government."

"The [Government of N.W.T.] cannot afford to take on the programs that the federal government introduces and does not continue," she wrote.

"[The department]'s funding formula accounts for certain positions within schools, while the federal government, with Jordan's Principle, accounted for other, separate positions."