SCHOOL YEAR IN JEOPARDY FOR PIKANGIKUM STUDENTS AS SCHOOL MAY BE FORCED TO CLOSE
THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose expressed concern that the Enoch Birchstick school in Pikangikum First Nation may be forced to close today as health issues have forced teachers from the community, leaving hundreds of school students in jeopardy of losing their school year.
“Many teachers have been forced to leave the community as chronic problems with mold and other respiratory irritants in their living quarters have reached a crisis point,” said NAN Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose. “An air quality assessment conducted by an independent consultant has confirmed mold in seven teacherages, which I believe is a serious threat to the health of the educators living in these conditions.”
Nearly all non-local teachers have left the community and less than half of the school’s elementary classes are running. The community is currently looking at several options to keep the secondary school program open.
“For years the community has asked the Government of Canada to repair or replace these teacherages, and it is a tragedy that these students are now being denied their basic human and legal right to education because the government can’t provide teachers safe and healthy living conditions for educators,” said Waboose. “The Government of Canada must immediately provide adequate living quarters so that teachers can return to the community and these students can get back to class as soon as possible so they don’t lose the entire school year.”
Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty No. 9 and Ontario portions of Treaty No. 5 – an area covering two thirds of the province of Ontario. | 
