Congratulating grads and a Bill 64 update
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/07/2021 (676 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
One of my favourite parts of being your MLA for Union Station is honouring community members for their achievements, as you are what makes Union Station so special.
This year, I was able to present awards to five graduates of the University of Winnipeg Collegiate and the Winnipeg Adult Education Centre, three of whom agreed to have their names published: Dakota Patterson, Abdikarim Abdi, and Raymond Iradukunda.
I’d like to wish a special congratulations to these five students – as well as all students in Union Station and across the province – for your resilience and perseverance while navigating such a difficult year. Now that pandemic restrictions have eased a bit, I hope you can find ways to celebrate your achievements safely with your family and friends.
The NDP caucus is committed to ensuring that our schools provide all students with the tools they need to succeed. That’s why we used our ability as the official Opposition to delay Bill 64, The Education Modernization Act, until the fall. Parents, students, and educators from across the province have been overwhelmingly speaking up against this bill, but the Progressive Conservatives refuse to listen.
We recently found out that the board responsible for overseeing the implementation of Bill 64 is made up entirely of hand-picked political appointees. Not a single educator was selected to sit on this very important board. These political appointments are only going to make it easier for the PCs to make cuts to our kids’ classrooms, just like the $5 million they cut in the 2020-21 school year. Our schools need more investment to get through this pandemic, not less.
Bill 64 also forces parent volunteers – through unpaid school community councils – to pick up all the work currently done by school boards and trustees.
Downtown Winnipeg was hit hard by the pandemic and many people are struggling to financially recover. Union Station parents are busy paying rent and putting food on the table. They don’t have time to do unpaid labour to backfill the PCs’ education cuts. This means that low-income families in our community will not be well represented on these school community councils.
Bill 64 hasn’t passed yet, but the PCs are acting like it has and refuse to listen to concerned Manitobans.
This is not accountability and our province deserves better.
The NDP caucus will continue to fight for local and diverse voices in education.
To sign up to speak at committee, call the Legislative Clerk’s office at 204-945-3636. As always, you can contact me with any questions or concerns at 204-306-8581 or uzoma.asagwara@yourmanitoba.ca
Uzoma Asagwara
Union Station constituency report
Uzoma Asagwara is the NDP MLA for Union Station.