Nunavut Education Dept. dials back proposed changes to local DEA powers

Nunavut's Department of Education is now proposing fewerchanges when it comes to powers oflocal District Education Authorities.

The department is looking to establish a territory-wide District Education Authorities council that would replace the existing Coalition of Nunavut DEAs and take on additional responsibilities.

• Nunavut's Education Act review suggests dramatic changes
• Nunavut DEAs worried proposed education reforms would strip them of powers

After consultations, the government is now proposing the DEAsretain some of the powersit was initially planning to take away.

It now proposesDEAs retaindiscretion on student admissions and registrations, selection of language models for bilingual education, and the ability to trigger reviews on inclusive schooling decisions on behalf of parents and students.

DEAs would also have a choice of either providing or not providing early childhood education programs, with the department able to step in and provide it should the DEA choose not to, and the choice of school calendars will be shared between DEAs and the department.

• 'It makes my blood boil': Nunavut government wants to strip DEAs of ECE funding authority

Education Minister PaulQuassa said the proposed DEA council would answer directly toMLAs andwould be subject to access to information requests.

"They will have more accountability in terms of the finances that they use and they will have more staff to ensure that issues that are coming out from local district education authorities are being dealt with," said Quassa.

He said if all goes well the council should be in place by 2018.