Steinbach school apologizes for teacher’s use of ‘outdated’ residential school content

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A southeastern Manitoba school division has apologized and blamed an outdated curriculum after students were asked earlier this year to list some of the positive effects of Canada’s residential school system.

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“We deeply regret the inadvertent use of outdated independent study content in a Grade 9 social studies class in one of our schools,” Hanover School Division (HSD) superintendent Shelley Amos said in a letter released on the HSD website late last week.

Last month, Steinbach area woman Bambi Bertholet posted several videos on her TikTok page criticizing HSD, after she learned that a class at the Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) was given a school assignment that asked students to “make a list of what you think are two positive and two negative effects of residential schools.”

The question goes on to explain to students “you did not read about positive effects, so you will have to come up with your own answer to this part of the question.”

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In a video posted last month on TikTok, Bertholet, a Cree woman, blasted the school for asking students for positive outcomes of residential schools, after she says a friend of hers who has a child that attends SRSS made her aware of the assignment.

“This is happening in the community where I live, and this is not cool at all, as if there is anything positive about residential schools, are you kidding me?” Bertholet said.

“This is totally ridiculous and completely racist as we all know.”

Bertholet said in her video after she learned about the question she sent several messages to HSD officials asking why it was asked, and she also asked others in the community to do the same, and put pressure on the board to respond.

In her apology letter released last Thursday, Amos said the instructional activity was sourced by the teacher from a provincial course package that is no longer in use, and admits it “suggested inappropriate study questions related to the impact of residential schools.”

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“The study questions shared in this instance do not reflect the values we strive to uphold: truth, reconciliation, respect, and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples,” Amos said.

She also tried to reassure parents and the community that schools in the division have been and will continue to take steps to advance reconciliation, and offer learning opportunities for both students and staff to better understand the history of Indigenous people in Canada.

“I want to reassure our school communities that programming and instruction within the Hanover School Division intentionally align with the provincial Indigenous Education Policy Framework,” Amos wrote.

“The Hanover School Division will continue to work alongside elders and knowledge keepers and partner with neighbouring Indigenous communities to provide ongoing learning for our teachers. We reaffirm our dedication to improving practices and continuing the journey of reconciliation, honouring our relationship with Indigenous Peoples.

“We extend our deepest apologies to all those affected and will take steps to ensure this oversight does not happen again.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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