'Certainly a lightning rod': Cullen back to drawing board after Bill 64 officially scrapped
Manitoba Education Minister Cliff Cullen said the plan to overhaul the education system is going back to the drawing board, recognizing the anxiety Bill 64 caused.
“We do want to repair any bridges that we have maybe damaged in that journey,” Cullen said.
On Wednesday, Manitoba’s new Premier Kelvin Goertzen announced Bill 64 is being withdrawn.
The legislation faced a mountain of opposition. The main sticking point – the elimination of elected school boards, replacing them with a central authority.
Once a staunch defender of the bill, Minister Cullen said those plans are now on pause.
“This governance model was certainly a lightning rod, we recognize that. So we are scrapping Bill 64,” Cullen said.
He said the province will now get feedback from teachers, parents, and other interested parties on how test scores can be boosted. He said that information will then be shared with the next Premier and cabinet, set to take office later this fall following the PC leadership election.
“We’re hoping now that Bill 64 is behind us, we can move on and talk about students’ success,” Cullen said.
CONCERNS OVER NEW BILL
Brenda Brazeau with the Manitoba Association of Parent Councils said there are a number of measures needed to help students that she feels were not addressed in Bill 64.
“We do need to talk about the poverty issue. We need to talk about the class size issue. We need to talk about more Indigenous learning,” Brazeau said.
The union representing teachers said it wants to be consulted. But Nathan Martindale from the Manitoba Teachers Society said they have concerns about the possibility of a Bill 64 2.0.
“Will it make our members a little anxious knowing that that still hangs above our head? Yes,” Martindale said.
For now, Cullen said instead of reform, the number one priority is health and safety as kids head back to class during the pandemic’s fourth wave.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.