CKRW File Photo: Yukon Department of Education
Whitehorse, YT – The Yukon Government says they are working hard to address issues plaguing the education sector in the territory one month after students went back to school but the opposition says the Liberals deserve a failing grade.
The opposition says it’s been a rocky start to the 2024-25 school year and the education system is under strain due to a lack of teachers and support staff as well as delayed capital repairs.
As of this week, there were 62 educator vacancies in Yukon schools, and recruitment of Teachers on Call (TOCs) remains a challenge.
“All of these issues impede student success and strain our educators,” said Education Critic Scott Kent in a press release. “Yukoners would appreciate an update from the minister on these issues and hear the government’s action to address them.”
In response, the Department of Education says they’ve hired 205 TOCs and have 32 pending applications.
“We continue to recruit aggressively to address the demand,” reads their statement.
Educational Assistant (EA) allocations have also come under fire, with the official opposition arguing that schools are struggling to meet the needs of vulnerable students despite government promises to return to the previous EA allocation process due to concerns that new criteria would leave many students in need ineligible to receive one on one support.
Additionally, despite promises to test for lead contamination in drinking water in Yukon schools over the summer, the Department of Education says that testing is now ongoing and will be completed in December. The Department says that they ensured each school has access to at least one potable water source that meets the drinking water standards for lead.
“The health, safety, and well-being of students and staff is our first priority,” the department stated.
