Students at the Morinville Public Elementary School have a new place to call home- for now. The modular classrooms are temporary, but Principal Wayne Rufiange says it’s nice for students and staff to have their own space.
“We know it’s our classroom, we can make the changes that we need, we’re not worried about, you know, we’re in someone else’s space, we’re inconveniencing anybody, we’re in our own classrooms.”
Students have been jumping from location to location since September, when Morinville started offering non-faith based education. The public option was instituted after a long fight by some parents who didn’t want to send their children to a Catholic school – a fight that left some parents feeling ostracized in the community.
Students in the grade 1-2 split class and a 3-4 split have modular classrooms which have been set up next to Vanier Catholic School. Rufiange says this is the next step in the process of getting their own school.
“Ultimately their goal, and our goal is to have, you know, kind of, our own building where we’re under one roof.”
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The public school is still split up. Grades one through four are in the new modular classrooms while other students are still set up in other locations.
Rayann Menard is the mother of two children, one is in the modular classrooms while the other is at the Parish Hall across the street, where the younger students go to school.
“This is still only a temporary solution so, come September the grades will be moving up, there will be a grade five class next year, this won’t fit a grade five class.”
Menard says she feels like wanting public education for her children has put her in a difficult position. The school is still attached to a Catholic school and Menard says she feels like they’re still attached to the people they’ve ostracized themselves from.
“Morinville needs public education and somebody has had to take that first step.” adding, “We’re making progress but its been slow and I feel like the powers that be are forgetting that there’s actually children involved.”
Rufiange says the Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk has told him a decision on whether or not they will get their own school will be made soon but there isn’t a set date for that decision. Rufiange says he hopes he will have more information for parents at their open house on February 16.
With files from Laurel Clark
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