The Opposition NDP is questioning why the government has included an online survey question, asking respondents to rank the importance of having Indigenous language and culture in the classroom.
The question on the Ministry of Education website; “Students should have opportunities to learn about and from Indigenous people. Indigenous cultures, languages, and histories are an important part of learning in school.”
Yet Education Minister Gordon Wyant says the government has no intentions of reversing Treaty education.
“The online surveys, we’ll take that information under advisement. But this government has no desire, to back away from the commitments we’ve made to First Nations culture in our classrooms,” Wyant told the Legislature Tuesday.
He says it was the Sask. Party government that introduced Treaty education to the province and recently announced a roll out of First Nation’s Languages province-wide.
“The questions which are in that online survey were based on consultations with various organizations, including the Treaty Commissioner,” Wyant explained. “But I can be unequivocal in terms of this government’s support of treaty education in the classroom, of engaging with respect to First Nations to make sure First Nations culture is understood and taught in the classrooms.”
However, NDP critic Carla Beck wonders why include the question in the survey, if it has no influence on Treaty education. “Then it begs the question, why is it in the survey in the first place,” questioned Beck. “If it’s not up for debate, why are you asking whether or not treaty education and curriculum in our schools is important or not very important at all?”
The online survey goes to May 10.