Pembina North Community School parents are being asked whether their children should continue the daily recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at the school.
Earlier this fall, Busby School briefly stopped reciting the Lord’s Prayer after a parent complained about its legality. After consulting with parents, Pembina Hills trustees allowed Busby School to resume the practice.
Since then, however, the other two schools, Pembina North and Dunstable School, have taken on the issue.
Pembina Hills assistant Supt. of employee services and facilities and transportation David Garbutt said PNCS principal Darcie Eamor made the decision to continue the recitation in consultation with him.
They knew they had to address the issue through the division’s Administrative Procedure that had been developed for this situation, but since no parent had specifically complained, they decided to leave things status quo.
“We thought, instead of stopping it, going through the process and potentially re-starting it, why don’t we go through the process and if parents want it to stop, we just stop so we’re not changing two times.”
Garbutt said there was a Nov. 19 meeting where he met with the PNCS council and discussed the situation.
It was decided then that a survey would be sent out to parents asking them if they supported the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer — the survey must be returned to the school by Thursday, Dec. 10.
Following that there will be a school council meeting on Monday, Dec. 14 where the results of the survey will be examined and a recommendation made to the principal. The principal may then make a recommendation to Pembina Hills trustees one way or the other.
Garbutt said it was his understanding that the Lord’s Prayer was recited at all three local schools that were amalgamated to form PNCS.
“They did it at all three schools: W.R. Frose, Dapp and Jarvie,” he said. “I may be incorrect, but that’s what I believe I was told.”
During the Nov. 25 board meeting in Barrhead, Pembina Hills trustees voted 5-1 to direct Dunstable School to resume reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
In this case, Dunstable School principal Lorna Hiemstra had decided to halt the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer while awaiting the outcome of the consultation at Busby School.
Similar to PNCS, the Dunstable School council had decided to undertake a survey to determine the wishes of parents.
In his report to the trustees, Garbutt said 36 families out of a possible 38 sent back the survey, with 33 stating they were in support of reciting the Lord’s Prayer, with three against.
Hiemstra recommended to trustees that the Lord’s Prayer resume at the elementary school.
“The recommendation is based on my experience at Dunstable over the last four years and there was tradition before I was there as well,” she said.
Dunstable School council chair Krista Schole, who was also present at the Nov. 25 meeting, said she talked to several families who have had children going to the school for multiple generations and they recalled the Lord’s Prayer being recited for decades.
Most of the trustees voiced their support for resuming the recitation, arguing that the community had clearly spoken in favour of the practice and there was a long-standing tradition.
Westlock trustee Jan Hoffart cast the sole dissenting vote.
“As a trustee who is entrusted for the care of all of our students, I still feel this is not an inclusive practice for all of our students,” she said.
“I just feel I’m not able to direct a school (to recite the Lord’s Prayer).”
