Winnipeg Votes 2026, Noman Zaheer, Candidate for School Trustee in Pembina Trails School Division

Should AI be banned from classrooms to protect critical thinking, or leveraged responsibly to prepare students for the future?

In this episode of Winnipeg Votes 2026, host Graham McDonald speaks with Noman Zaheer, candidate for School Trustee in Ward 3 of the Pembina Trails School Division.

Drawing from his experience in IT and post-secondary education—and as a local parent with children in the division—Noman discusses why he believes AI tools should be restricted in classrooms to encourage problem-solving skills, while also addressing critical cybersecurity measures in light of recent division data breaches.

The conversation explores key issues in Ward 3, including expanding EAL (English as an Additional Language) and speech-language pathology (SLP) resources, improving communication between schools and parents, managing rapid enrollment growth in areas like Prairie Point and Bridgwater, and increasing French high school programming across the division.

Noman shares his perspective on creating division-wide resource pools for specialized educators, improving responsiveness to parental concerns, and ensuring students are fully prepared for post-secondary opportunities.

0:00 Preparing Students for the Future: Expanding French High School Opportunities

0:28 Meet Noman Zaheer: Candidate for School Trustee in Ward 3

0:50 Why Seek Election? Parent Perspective and Community Accountability

1:40 Enhancing EAL and Speech-Language Support for Growing Immigrant Families

2:57 Addressing Communication Gaps Between Schools, Trustees, and Parents

3:54 Managing Enrollment Growth in Prairie Point, Bridgwater, and South End

5:05 School Division Budget, Mill Rate Increases, and Protecting Student Safety

6:03 Parent Engagement and Early Support for Learning Disabilities

7:15 Anti-Bullying Measures, Mental Health Resources, and Student Safety

7:58 Banning AI in Classrooms to Protect Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving

9:15 Cyber Security Risks, Data Protection, and Mandatory Anti-Phishing Staff Training

10:48 Preparing Students for Post-Secondary & Establishing Shared Resource Pools

Winnipeg Votes 2026 is U Multicultural Channel’s ongoing coverage of the 2026 Winnipeg Municipal Election, connecting voters with the candidates seeking to represent their communities.

Disclaimer: As part of U Multicultural’s 2026 Winnipeg Municipal Election Coverage, candidates were invited to share messages with our audience. The views expressed in this article are the candidate’s own, and this article does not constitute an endorsement by U Multicultural.