The education ministry of Saskatchewan province in Canada recently announced the revocation of Grace Christian School's permit to operate.
According to a Global News article, the school will stop operations due to its director's inability to work with the education administrator assigned by the province's top education leader.
The assignment of an administrator is relevant to many abuse claims by former students.
3 Saskatoon Christian Schools Named in Abuse Raps
Based on the same news report, Dustin Duncan had announced early this August that three Christian schools would have administrators assigned to them.
Duncan is the Minister of Education for Saskatchewan province.
The Global News article said Duncan's move is reportedly due to the surfacing of abuse claims from over 40 former students of three Christian schools.
Global News identified the schools as Regent Academy, Legacy Christian Academy (formerly: Christian Centre Academy), and Grace Christian School.
The report disclosed that the schools had one staff implicated in the $25 million case about alleged abuses in Mile Two Church and Christian Centre Academy/Legacy Christian School.
Of the three schools, only Grace Christian School faces closure for failing to follow the education minister's order for an administrator's intervention.
The news article bared that Dave Derkson was tapped to handle the school as its administrator.
Derkson is Saskatoon Public Schools' former education superintendent.
"The Director refused to cooperate with the administrator appointed to take on the management and operations of the school. Therefore, the Minister of Education canceled Grace Christian School's Certificate of Registration in the public interest as the Director is a named defendant in the current litigation," Global News quoted the education ministry's statement.
The news outlet identified the school director as John Olubobokun.
Olubobokun reportedly worked for Legacy Christian Academy before his assignment to Grace Christian School as its director four years ago.
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Education Minister's Directives to Schools
As mentioned, Education Minister Dustin Duncan directed schools named in the multi-million dollar lawsuit to work with an administrator.
The assignment is to help rectify things about their treatment of students and offer the latter a "positive learning environment," the Global News article said.
The statement by Duncan's office issued on Monday mentioned that the administrators would "review staff lists" to check whether the current rosters could render the services the schools need.
The administrators were also tasked to 'review school policies and procedures, as well as documentation' so the former could issue recommendations for policy changes whenever deemed needed.
The ministry's statement likewise directed the administrators to issue a monthly report to the ministry determining whether the schools promote Saskatchewan curricula among students.
Alternatives for Affected Students, Reactions to Closure
The same Global News report disclosed that administrator Dave Derkson would source another school to cater to the affected students of Grace Christian School.
Derksen acknowledged the ill effect of the situation on the families and students of the said Christian school.
Upon hearing of the school's impending closure, Caitlin Erickson expressed mixed emotions to Global News.
Erickson, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said she felt happy upon learning about the cancellation of Grace Christian's registration certificate and the funding withdrawal.
Erickson acknowledged that the education authorities of Saskatchewan 'did the right thing.'
But, she lamented that it happened "a lot later than it should have."
Another plaintiff, Coy Noylin, explained that while she thinks the development was "a big win" for her, she said it was "not the closure" they wanted from the beginning.
Because of it, Coylin explained they are 'still seeking' the closure they intended to have when they decided to file the case against the schools.
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