The Board Chair of the Garden Valley School Division hopes the Education Minister's comments on Bill 64 last week will engage more people to ask questions, and that the provincial government will indeed listen.

As part of a news conference last Monday, Cliff Cullen stated that a "misinformation campaign" had taken hold of the public's opinion on the bill, adding the Manitoba Teacher's Society, the opposition NDP, and the Manitoba School Boards Association are using a misleading political campaign against the Progressive Conservative government's proposed education changes to instill fear and anxiety in parents and educators.

When asked who was in support of Bill 64, Cullen did not say specifically, rather suggested the majority of Manitobans are.

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GVSD Board Chair Laurie Dyck says, overall, it's disappointing to hear the comments by the minister, and the accusations of misinformation and finger-pointing. She says it would be better to hear the government answer the questions that people have on Bill 64 instead, and have them identify who supports the legislation.

"There's an R.M. in Manitoba that has actually called the government to amend Bill 64, to reinstate the role of elected school board members," said Dyck. "So this wave of what's been labeled as a "minority voice" by Minister Cullen, I would say it appears that the "minority voice" (against Bill 64) is starting to get quite loud and formal about it."

The municipality Dyck is referring to is the R.M. of Grahamdale.

Dyck says she truly hopes that when the government says it wants to gather feedback and listen to what the people have to say, that it follows through on that. She says, however, there seems to be some skepticism.

Dyck says many people have indicated through conversations and on social media that the government's poll and survey questions on the legislation are very leading, designed to get the answers they want when it comes to education reform. 

"It's disappointing to see that as well. Let's be open and honest, and let's gather true information, and at the end of the day... if the majority is saying that's the governance model and that Bill 64 is the best thing for education, then so be it. But I beg to ask the question, I think the minority voice is actually a majority voice at this point," said Dyck.

Dyck says Garden Valley School Division is not against change that's purposeful and makes sense.

Comparing it to gleaning information on the pandemic, for example, Dyck says we are being told to seek out the experts, which, in that case, is the medical world. She says it would be nice if the teachers and leaders, "the experts in the education field," were asked about their recommendations on Bill 64, however, Dyck noted that appears to be missing.

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