‘Revolving door of teachers’ hurts everyone at First Nation schools
April Whalen (left) has worked in Big Grassy River First Nation for four years. She is the exception and not the rule, as northern First Nation schools struggle with high turnover. Photo supplied by Teach For Canada—Gakinaamaage
By Matteo Cimellaro
Lawrence Wesley Education Centre in remote Cat Lake, a fly-in community 400 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, is a well-equipped school, with new Smart Boards, a new gym, a library and a computer room and a cafeteria large enough for all the students to eat together.
Yet, the beginning of the school year puts Cat Lake First Nation in scramble mode. Teacher positions still need to be filled while students have already begun classes. Lawrence Wesley Education Centre was built in 2015 and could compete with any other school in the south with how it is resourced and outfitted — that is, except when it comes to teachers.
It’s almost a yearly occurrence, said Skyler Oombash, Cat Lake’s councillor who holds the education file. And Cat Lake is not alone.
“Everybody’s short on teachers — sometimes it’s hard to find teachers to work up North,” Oombash said.