Iqaluit education authority takes Nunavut gov't to court over blocking support workers
CBC
The Iqaluit District Education Authority is taking the Government of Nunavut to court, alleging the territory's Department of Education blocked access to assessment services it wanted to provide for students.
The education authority says it received $120,000 from the federal Inuit Child First Initiative earlier this year to screen 28 children for emotional and behavioural challenges.
The group claims the GN barred some support workers from helping students in need by preventing professionals from entering schools to conduct assessments and encouraging the contractor of the services to withdraw its contract.
The Department of Education told CBC News it would respond to a request for comment by the end of the day Thursday.
Anne Crawford, the education authority's lawyer, said the group wants the Nunavut Court of Justice to review the situation through mediation.
"Several members of the district education authority came to see me with the concern that they hadn't been able to make any progress in the usual ways with exchanges of letters with the deputies," Crawford said.
"As a consequence, the money is still sitting there and they want services to be delivered to kids."
Crawford said the education authority has not received a response from the GN on why it denied the services. The group is also asking the court for an order to let them bring the services in, since it still has the money approved for the 2023-2024 school year.
"This seemed to be a way to get the government to talk," Crawford said.
"If government agrees to mediation, that's wonderful. If they don't it's going to be a much longer process," she added.
In a statement in April, the Department of Education said it has specific rules in place for how external contractors can enter schools. Those rules, it wrote, are "critical for ensuring consistent and safe supports for our students."
"When we received the list of referred students from the [education authority], we immediately followed up and provided services to all referred students still enrolled in our schools," the department wrote, adding it isn't aware of any students who didn't receive support.
The Department of Education wrote that its student achievement division has "worked tirelessly over the past decade to expand support services available for our students."
It said it also secured more funding in February to make sure mental health support services are delivered in all of Nunavut's schools.
The union president called it a rally for solidarity as Iqaluit Housing Authority employees gathered Friday while negotiations are ongoing between the Nunavut Employees Union and the employer.
The federal government is stoking Quebec separatism by walking back its climate commitments — including in its recent deal with Alberta — Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says.
Four more Alberta MLAs are facing recall petitions organized by their constituents, including the first NDP representative to be caught in the province's ongoing wave of recall efforts.
Frank Gehry, the Canadian-born renegade architect behind some of the world's most recognizable buildings, has died at 96.
Hundreds of P.E.I. parents can't find child-care spaces, especially for infants. The provincial government says expanding those spots remains a top priority — and it recognizes the concern.
An Alberta judge says a referendum proposal on Alberta separating from Canada goes against Charter and and Treaty rights, in a decision given less than 24 hours after the provincial government introduced legislation that would have ended the court proceeding.
The architect of Alberta's politician recall legislation says it was never meant to be used as a political weapon, but as an "ultimate tool of accountability" if a politician engages in illegal or unethical behaviour.
The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced its long-promised involuntary treatment legislation on the final day of the fall sitting.
The Law Society of Ontario has suspended the licence of Deepak Paradkar, one of seven Canadians arrested in connection with alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding’s cocaine smuggling ring.
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is getting rid of unlimited mental health benefits for staff, blaming ballooning costs and former administrators for implementing it without proper due diligence or oversight.
Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's TV and film studios and streaming division for $72 billion US, a deal that would hand control of one of Hollywood's most prized and oldest assets to the streaming pioneer that has upended the media industry.
CBC Calgary kicks off its annual Make the Season Kind campaign this morning at Fratello Coffee Roasters.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.