While the minister of Education says no major changes were made to the educational assistant (EA) allocation process for the 2024-25 school year, opposition MLAs say that’s not the case.

Yukon Party MLAs raised the issue in the legislative assembly on Monday, speaking on behalf of five major education organizations in the territory: the Learning Disabilities Association of Yukon, the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate, Autism Yukon, the Yukon Association of Education Professionals, and the Association of Yukon School Councils, Boards and Committees.

At issue is the new formula used to calculate who gets an EA next school year, whether it’s at an individual level or by classroom.

The education groups say it will give little priority to many “vulnerable learners” who are currently being helped.

The role and findings of a Calgary-based consultant in the allocation process, using a $50,000 sole-source contract, is also of concern.

Education Minister Jeanie McLean said only “minor updates” to current processes have been made for 2024-25, but acknowledged that there is “some confusion” about the new EA allocation process.

“Our goal is to provide support and interventions for students to better meet their learning needs,” she said.

“Enhanced professional development and learning opportunities for teachers and EAs are linked to this work.”

The five education groups, in a joint letter to the minister shared with the Yukon Party, criticized the fact that neither they nor the public were involved in the changes, along with the lack of “ongoing communication with important community stakeholders.”

They also want to see the report prepared by the consultant that seems to be driving the government’s agenda, as it doesn’t seem to reflect what the education stakeholders told them.

Yukon Party Education critic Scott Kent called on the government make the consultant’s report available to the public.

McLean didn’t give a yes-no answer, only saying, “We continue to work with the data that we have collected and we will be bringing that forward at a later date.”

The fact that key education groups had to learn about the changes from the schools, and not the department, concerns Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon.

“The groups that wrote this letter are some of the most engaged and knowledgeable stakeholders in the education system, and yet they had to learn about these changes indirectly from the schools themselves … Why?” he asked.

The minister indicated that the department worked with school superintendents and school board executive directors during the allocation process.

“The new EA allocation policy for 2024-25 enables the department to distance itself from the actual learning needs of students,” said the group letter.

“(Instead), it reduces service to a matrix, rather than being based on the actual needs of the students and will potentially result in a significant reduction in service.”

The new allocation process is part of the RISE – reimagining inclusive and special education – initiative of the Education department.

Details are available online at https://yukon.ca/en/reimagining-inclusive-and-special-education-yukon