REGINA - Question Period in the legislature on Tuesday was again dominated by allegations of abuse at Christian educational institutions in the province.
Opposition politicians continued their push for answers regarding allegations about Legacy Christian Academy in Saskatoon, which has faced legal action from former students over allegations of abuse. But a particular focus Tuesday was on reports about allegations surrounding Briercrest College.
The latest allegations reported in the media were from LGBTQ students alleging mistreatment at that institution. In Question Period, Opposition Leader Carla Beck proceeded to accuse Premier Scott Moe of ignoring the issues at Briercrest College during the time he was Minister of Advanced Education.
That exchange was captured in Hansard.
Ms. Beck: — "…Mr. Speaker, to be honest with you, this afternoon I’m angry, not just as the Leader of the Official Opposition but as a parent. Because this morning we again woke up to yet another story about discrimination and abuse in taxpayer-funded schools. And this time the Sask Party’s pattern of burying abuse claims leads directly to that Premier.
To the Premier: when you were given the chance to protect kids at Briercrest, why did you not do it?"…
Hon. Mr. Moe: — "Mr. Speaker, back in 2015 there was a complaint that came to the Saskatchewan higher education quality advisory board to do with respect to an individual at Briercrest. At that point in time, the Advanced Education minister at a later date was made aware of that complaint through SHEQAB [Saskatchewan Higher Education Quality Assurance Board], Mr. Speaker. And he ordered SHEQAB to conduct an investigation into that complaint, at which there was five recommendations made: two to the institution, two to the ministry, one to the minister, Mr. Speaker.
"All of those recommendations were complied with or were already present in law or policy here in the province, Mr. Speaker. And to my knowledge there has not been any subsequent complaints that have been received."
That answer didn’t satisfy Beck, who accused Moe of doing nothing.
Ms. Beck: — "Mr. Speaker, make no mistake. It was his responsibility. When he was minister, he knew about the concerns. He knew about the recommendations, including the recommendation to tie funding to human rights. The recommendation could not have been more clear. The question is, why didn’t he do it and whose interests was he serving? Because it certainly was not the interests of those students."
In response Minister of Advanced Education Gord Wyant reiterated the recommendations had been acted on.
Hon. Mr. Wyant: — "Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier said, these recommendations were acted upon or were already in policy with respect to our institutions, Mr. Speaker. Our institutions are required to comply with the provisions of Saskatchewan law, including the Human Rights Commission, Mr. Speaker.
"So in point of fact they were acted upon, Mr. Speaker. The recommendations that were made to the institution were acted upon. The minister acted upon the recommendation that was made to him. And the other two recommendations were already determined to be in policy, Mr. Speaker.
"So really in terms of the complaints that came back in 2015, this government acted upon those, Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of the students that are attending that institution."
Saskatoon University MLA Jennifer Bowes accused the Sask Party government of a “sick culture” and of “burying abuse allegations”, and said the recommendations from June 2016 were “deliberately ignored by not one, not two, but five Sask Party Advanced Education ministers before the recommendation was magically scrubbed from the board’s minutes in 2019, never to be implemented.” ...
Hon. Mr. Wyant: —" Mr. Speaker, we’ve already answered that question. Those recommendations were made and they were acted upon or they were already determined to be in policy. So I’m not sure what the member is getting at, Mr. Speaker."
Wyant also maintained in his answers that Briercrest and all educational institutions must follow the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code. “As far as I’m aware, Mr. Speaker, there’s been no formal complaints made to the Human Rights Commission or to any other agency that may be responsible for investigating such complaints.”
Legacy Christian Academy still a hot topic
Once again there were also questions about the latest controversy at Legacy Christian Academy regarding biology textbooks containing falsehoods that humans walked the earth at the same time as dinosaurs.
Education Minister Dustin Duncan again had to fend off Opposition questions including from Opposition Education Critic Matt Love, who demanded to know if the current textbooks met the provincial curriculum.
Hon. Mr. Duncan: — "Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I did say yesterday, in 2013 a review was conducted. The ministry did hire a curriculum consultant that had a lot of experience in developing curriculum in Saskatchewan. They went through the A.C.E. curriculum or A.C.E. workbooks that were being used at that time and frankly prior to when the government changed in 2007, Mr. Speaker.
"Mr. Speaker, in 2013 it was determined, as a part of that review, that the A.C.E. workbooks were not in compliance with the curriculum of Saskatchewan and they could no longer be used. And working with that curriculum consultant, the workbooks that have been developed are compliant with the Saskatchewan curriculum, Mr. Speaker. And the ministry works to ensure that that remains the case today."
Love followed up by noting their website continued to list textbooks published by Bob Jones University, and English language arts novel study materials about books based on exorcisms and demons.
He then touched on another controversy that erupted Tuesday: word that a media request to speak to a paleontologist from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum somehow ended up in the office of the Ministry of Education.
Mr. Love: — ..."As concerning is news today that a media request to speak to a paleontologist from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum about the history of dinosaurs landed in that minister’s office. Now it could be just me, Mr. Speaker, but after his answers last week to questions about dinosaurs and humans existing peacefully and the presence of a plesiosaurus and the Loch Ness, I think that minister is about the last person I’d go to for advice on science.
"So to the minister: why did a media request to speak to a scientist end up in that minister’s office?"
The Speaker: —" I recognize the Minister of Education."
Hon. Mr. Duncan: — "Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I was able to say yesterday, the textbooks that have been referenced are not the main resource that are used by any of the SAICS schools, Mr. Speaker.
"Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to look at, for example, the biology 30 workbook. Workbook no. 6 is entitled Evolution, Mr. Speaker. It includes such topics as tracing evolution in the fossil record, fossil casts, the rate of evolution — and perhaps of interest to my seatmate — section 9.21, becoming a fossil."
The Speaker: — "I recognize the member from Saskatoon Eastview."
Mr. Love: — "Mr. Speaker, it’s one thing to not be able to condemn the course materials that suggest that humans and dinosaurs existed peacefully and maybe still do, but it’s another thing entirely to block media from speaking to a scientist and to block that scientist from talking to media about the facts of evolution.
"Again, what exactly happened here, Mr. Speaker? How did a request to the RSM [Royal Saskatchewan Museum] to speak to a scientist get shut down by the Minister of Education’s office?"
The Speaker: — "I recognize the Minister of Education."
Hon. Mr. Duncan: — "Mr. Speaker, I hardly even know where to begin with that. But, Mr. Speaker, what I will say is that while it is not a main resource that’s being used, certainly there are aspects, including unit 1, “Cell Structure and Function;” unit 2, “Photosynthesis and Respiration;” unit 3, “Genetics, Part I;” unit 4, “Genetics, Part II;” unit 5, “Genetics, Part III;” unit 6, “Evolution.”
Mr. Speaker, as I said last week, I would not presume that everything that was taught in 2005, when the members opposite were the government, is the same that is being taught in those schools. The ministry has worked hard to ensure that the curriculum of Saskatchewan is what is utilized in these schools, Mr. Speaker, and that’s what we will continue to do."
In speaking to reporters following Question Period, Duncan explained how the media request for a paleontologist ended up in the Ministry of Education’s office.
“I think our point was to ensure that parents across Saskatchewan know that Saskatchewan curriculum is being taught in all schools. I think some of the information being suggested last week about the Loch Ness Monster or man and dinosaur walking together, that’s not the Saskatchewan curriculum. It might have been taught at particular schools in the past, but after 2013 the ministry did work with those schools to change their curriculum to ensure it did align with Saskatchewan. Really, the statement was affirming that Saskatchewan curriculum was taught in all schools. Certainly if anybody wants to talk to the palaeontologist I don't have a problem with that.”
