Iqaluit education authority bows out of fight with government

The Iqaluit District Education Authority has bowed out from a legal battle with Nunavut's Department of Education after it came to an agreement with the Commission scolaire francophone du Nunavut.

An injunction wasfiled last September to stop the education minister from interfering with negotiations between the two boards, giving them an opportunity to negotiate a four-year deal.

• Nunavut French school board seeks new classrooms, more staff
• Nunavut MLAs reverse course on controversial language/education act

"We had to make the statement," said Doug Workman, chair of the Iqaluit District Education Authority board.

"We filed the injunction to make it clear to the minister and the department [of education] that we were going to retain this authority and we wanted a court decision to that effect."

The scope of the education authority's decision making power is particularly important in light of the demise of Bill 37, which sought to reallocate power from district education authorities, Workman said.

The French school board lacks space for all of its students. The two education authorities have been co-operating for years, but since 2015, Workman said the IqaluitDistrict Education Authority wanted to see the relationship formalized.

The Francophone school division will send its grade 9 to 12 students to Inuksuk High School, where they will do most of their learning in French, but with some English options.