Jesuit school outrages indigenous leader, Winnipeg school board chair

Two prominent voices are speaking out against Gonzaga Middle School, a 60-studentprivate Jesuit school set to open in Winnipeg's inner city next fall.

The Catholic schoolwill "divide" and "impoverish" the community, says Mark Wasyliw,chair of the Winnipeg School Division board.

"You're basically trying to pick, in your mind, winners and losers," Wasyliwsaid.

We're trying to build communities up, and you don't do that by taking the best and brightest out then sending them to Tuxedo.-MarkWasyliw,Winnipeg School Division board chair

Larry Morrissetteshares hisconcern. Morrissetteworks in the North End and is co-founder of theWinnipeg School Division's Children of the Earth High School, a Winnipegschool focused on indigenous identity and culture.

"Nowhere [is] Truth and Reconciliation asking the church to begin teaching kids again,"Morrissettesaid, who himself was raised Catholic. Hismother went toa residential school.

"This school is stepping in and saying to us, as a people, we know better than you," Morrissettesaid.

• Chipmans help open Jesuit school in Point Douglas

In November, a group of St. Paul's High School alumni, including MarkChipman, chair of Jets owner True North Sports and Entertainment, announced a plan to build the small school. Organizerspromised to help address poverty in the area through rigorous education and support forstudents.

Two private Catholic schools in Winnipeg, St. Mary's Academy and St. Paul's High School, have already agreed to accept "qualified applicants" from Gonzagain the futureand waive their tuition, Gonzagaprincipal and executive directorTom Lussiersaidin November.

"We're trying to build communities up," said school board chairWasyliw."You don't do that by taking the best and brightest out of that community and then sending them to Tuxedo."

Jesuit schools 'an apostolic instrument'

Gonzaga'sfounders were inspired to start the school after seeing the impact Jesuit schools had on inner city youth in U.S. cities, Lussiersaid.Mother Teresa Middle School, which opened recently in Regina, "created more impetus" for a Jesuit school in Winnipeg, he said in November.

Mother Teresa and several American Jesuit schools are members of the Jesuit Schools Network.Ahandbook published by the network titled Our Way of Proceeding: Standards & Benchmarks for Jesuit Schools in the 21st Centurysays a Jesuit school's "primary and operative self-understanding" is definedas "an apostolic instrument at the service of the mission of the Society of Jesus and of the Church."

While the culture of Gonzaga will remain Catholic, Lussier said, students of all faith backgrounds will have a place in the school, he promised.

"Aboriginal studies will be part of the curriculum and we will continue to seek the support of aboriginal educators and consult indigenous elders with respect to this curriculum and indigenous spiritual teachings and practices," saidLussier in a written statement.

Nevertheless,Wasyliwand MorrissetteworryGonzaga will overtly or indirectly pressure students to adopt the Catholic faith.

"A country-club education," Wasyliwsaid. "In exchange, you're going to be part of our religion."

Morrissettesaidif Gonzaga's founders wantto improve the lives of at-risk youth in Winnipeg, the $3 million it will take to build and operatethe school for three yearswould be better spent on drop-in centres and youth-oriented programs already running in the area.

For Wasyliw's part, he'd like to see that $3 millionflow directly into the Winnipeg School Division and see Mark Chipman's business interests pay more tax.

"The Winnipeg Jets is a very profitable corporation that is getting taxpayer-money subsidies. If they want to help, return those subsidies back to the taxpayer, and the money would flow back into the education system," he said.

Wasyliw added he wantsthe MTS Centre topay school taxes as well.

"With that kind of resources, we could provide really intensive programming. It would do a lot of good, and we could certainly help more than the 60 students they're talking about," he said.

Morrissettesaid he will stop speaking out againstGonzaga if theschool meets with a panel of residential school survivorsand the survivors come out in support of theschool.

Gonzaga Middle School declined CBC's recent interview requests and instead offered the written statement below.