On November 27, the Hanover School Division (HSD) announced the sudden layoff of approximately 93 educational assistants (EAs). The division’s remaining EA positions, numbering almost 250, will not be affected.
“This difficult decision arose from circumstances beyond our immediate control,” the division said in a public statement. “Specifically, the unexpected loss of federal funding for Jordan’s Principle programming in the 2024–25 school year.”
Jordan’s Principle is a federal program established in 2016 to ensure that all First Nations children have equitable access to medical, educational, and other supports.
The program was a response to a ruling by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which determined that the federal government’s approach to services for First Nations children was discriminatory.
The program was named after five-year-old Jordan River Anderson, a Norway House Cree Nation boy who died in 2005 while waiting for medical care.
This is the third year that HSD applied for Jordan’s Principle funding to aid in the hiring of EAs for students who qualified for the program.
“In early summer, the regional office for Indigenous Services Canada informed us that, based upon our renewal application for Jordan’s Principle funding, we could proceed with hiring staff for the start of the new school year,” HSD superintendent-CEO Joe Thiessen says. “With this information, we proceeded in good faith that funding was secured. However, over the past few months, responsibility for administering the funding shifted to the federal office of Indigenous Services Canada. This change was introduced without our knowledge and now requires us to reapply for funding, which we intend to do.”
Thiessen says that, at the time of the layoffs, $1 million had already been spent on EA salaries which should have been covered by this funding. Now they are looking to recover these costs and also receive acknowledgement of a continuation of the funding for the balance of the school year.
In the meantime, Thiessen says it will take a shared effort between principals, teachers, support staff, and other EAs to fill the gaps.
In recent months, Indigenous Services Canada has come under fire for its growing backlog in requests for aid and slow-moving funds through the Jordan’s Principle program. Some call it a systemic failure within the federal government to follow through with their mandate.
The Keewatin Tribal Council, representing 11 northern Manitoba First Nations communities, says they’ve had to provide $8 million in bridge funding over the last couple of years while waiting for the federal government to come through with Jordan’s Principle reimbursements.
Thiessen says that the HSD will continue to engage in discussions with both the federal and regional levels of Indigenous Services Canada. Until things change, he adds, the division will do their best to move ahead.
“The loss of these educational assistants will no doubt have some impact on families, schools, teachers, and the division as a whole,” he says. “That being said, we have full confidence in the incredible dedication, adaptability, and professionalism of our staff to fill the gaps and meet the needs of our students. The division remains deeply committed to ensuring every student has the support they need to thrive. Through strategic reallocation of resources, thoughtful planning, and the teamwork of our staff, we will continue to provide high-quality support for students.”
