'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On Wednesday, Manitoba’s new Premier Kelvin Goertzen announced Bill 64 is being withdrawn.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
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canada's longstanding blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma was harmful and discriminatory, Canadian Blood Services acknowledged on Friday, in issuing an apology to the LGBTQ2S+ community.