The province is still a ways away from welcoming its first Ukrainian refugees, but the interim leader of the NDP is concerned about what kind of supports will be available for them when they get here.
In the House of Assembly on Thursday, Jim Dinn questioned the Education Minister about educational supports for refugee children.
Tom Osborne was optimistic, saying they’ve been proactive on that front with new resources and positions being put in after the influx of Syrian refugees last year.
However, Dinn disputes that claim. He says he spoke with teachers who had refugees in their classes who were “frustrated” and “at their breaking point” because the proper supports were not in place.
Dinn states that teachers are working in classrooms that are “bursting at the seams” and dealing with kids who have trauma, learning gaps, and language barriers, which isn’t setting the kids up for success.