Saskatoon Public Schools has announced they will be making several cuts as they say Jordan’s Principle funding fell short.
Jordan’s Principle is a legal rule in Canada ensuring First Nations children receive government services without delay due to jurisdictional disputes.
The school division says they hired educational assistants to support First Nation students based on the funding they had received from Jordan’s Principle over the past five years.
While the school division didn’t release any numbers, they say the funding for this year was well short of previous years.
Representatives say the absence of the expected funding has made it unsustainable to maintain the positions.
“This decision was not made lightly,” said Charlene Scrimshaw, Deputy Director of Education for Saskatoon Public Schools, in a media release sent out Tuesday afternoon. “The support provided by these educational assistants has been crucial for student success. We understand the significant impact this will have on our students, families and staff.”
80 educational assistants specifically dedicated to helping First Nations children will now be cut as a result.
The school division says families directly affected by these cuts will be contacted by their schools prior to February 14.