EDUCATION MINISTER SENDS BULLYING EMAIL AFTER MLAS BARRED FROM GRADUATION CEREMONIES

EDMONTON -- Education Minister Adriana LaGrange sent a bullying email to school boards yesterday after MLAs complained about not being included in some graduation ceremonies.

“It has come to my attention that some school divisions have not been allowing elected officials, notably Members of the Legislative Assembly, to participate in digital or alternative graduation ceremonies this year,” LaGrange wrote. “It is my expectation that you will work diligently to meaningfully include your local elected officials, whether that be an MLA, MP or a local councillor … Please remember these graduation ceremonies are about our children, not our political views.” 

Sarah Hoffman, NDP Education Critic, said it’s up to schools to decide who they invite to graduation ceremonies. 

“At the same time Adriana LaGrange is claiming to support choice in education, she is bullying schools who choose not to invite MLAs, “ Hoffman said. “LaGrange has cut hundreds of millions of dollars out of school budgets, laid off more than 20,000 education workers, pushed hundreds of dollars of new fees onto parents, and taken away crucial support for students with special needs. The minister continues to lie about these cuts. She made this political, and now she can see the results. If anything, this demonstrates how dishonest she has been in claiming that school boards support her cuts. They don’t.

“LaGrange should be ashamed of herself for bullying schools into photo-ops after all the harm she has done to students’ education. It is an honour and a privilege to be invited to these ceremonies, not something to be demanded by the minister using threats,” Hoffman said.