Debates of Feb. 24th, 2015

This is page numbers 5769 – 5806 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library.

The word of the day was education .

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link Progress

Transportation Research And Development

Social Passing

Coordination Of Language Revitalization Strategies

Dechinta Bush University

Balancing Educational And Cultural Pursuits

Education Renewal

Dechinta Bush University

Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Supporting Aurora College Programming

Facilitating Educational Success In Small Communities

Implementation Of Junior Kindergarten

Investment In Hay River Transportation Infrastructure

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Canada Winter Games Medalist Annah Hanthorn

Dechinta Bush University

Dechinta Bush University

Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

GNWT Workplace Safety

Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Question 694-17: Social Passing

Student Attendance Incentives

Student Graduation Rates

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)

Bill 36: Health And Social Services Professions Act

Tabled Document 202-17(5):

Article From The Globe And Mail: Aboriginal Literacy Pilot Project Dramatically Improves Test Scores

Tabled Document 203-17(5): Two Articles Referencing Dechinta Centre For Research And Learning

Extended Adjournment Of The House To March 2, 2015

Bill 46: Deline Final Self-Government Agreement Act

Recorded Vote

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

The House met at 1:31 p.m.

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---Prayer

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Prayer

Prayer

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Finance , Mr. Miltenberger .

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Minister's Statement 159-17(5): Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link Progress

Ministers’ Statements

Thebacha

Michael Miltenberger

Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, this Legislative Assembly has a vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories. Achieving that vision requires a balanced approach that advances our economic, environmental and social priorities. This government is moving forward on all those fronts.

I would like to take a few moments to speak to the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link Project. On January 12, 2015, the government took the first step towards removing the limitations of our current communications infrastructure. This project will enable our government to improve our programs and services, particularly in the areas of education and health, and allow many more our residents and businesses to join the 21st century and

communicate in real time with the rest of the world.

Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link Project was a shared vision of the 17th Legislative

Assembly that has become a reality.

We presently are just over a month into the construction of the project and I am proud to say the construction activities are taking place in the Deh Cho, the Tulita District, the K’ahsho Got’ine and the Gwich’in Settlement Area. Some highlights: • Over 187 kilometres of cable has been installed. • The project has employed 40 local residents.

This does not include residents supporting the project by providing camp and catering services.

• A directional drilling program was successfully

and safely completed at the Great Bear River

crossing. Future directional drills are also planned at the Liard and Mackenzie River crossings.

Mr. Speaker, since construction commenced, we have experienced increased interest, nationally and internationally, in the growth of the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility. Since its official inauguration in 2010, a total of three 14-metre receiving antennas have been installed on site. Soon we will see the construction of a fourth antenna at the site and continue to have discussions with other potential users.

In order to obtain a better understanding of how growing the Inuvik Satellite Facility can support construction of a fibre optic link up the Mackenzie Valley, the Government of the Northwest Territories has undertaken two missions to Europe. The initial mission was led by then Premier Roland, and in May 2013 I led a delegation to Kiruna, Sweden, where the Swedish Space Corporation operates one of the largest satellite ground stations in the world.

We have seen first-hand the significant positive benefits the satellite ground station and remote sensing industry have not only on the economy of Kiruna but also the important role they play in facilitating advanced learning at the Institute of Space Physics. The potential impact of an expanded satellite ground station in Inuvik on the Aurora Research Centre is significant and could make this facility one of the “the places to be” to conduct space-based Arctic research.

Mr. Speaker, I intend to lead a delegation to Europe in June 2015 to visit selected European space agencies to further promote both the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link and the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility.

I would like to conclude my statement by thanking the efforts and support from our residents, businesses and the leadership throughout the communities of the Mackenzie Valley to ensure the continued success of the project.

I also want to thank all my colleagues of this Assembly for their support in advancing the project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 159-17(5): Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link Progress

Ministers’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger . The honourable Minister of Transportation , Mr. Beaulieu .

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Minister's Statement 160-17(5): Transportation Research And Development

Ministers’ Statements

Tu Nedhe

Tom Beaulieu

Minister of Transportation

Mr. Speaker, ensuring our residents are able to share the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories is our shared vision. Infrastructure is a key part of achieving that vision and our government continues to participate in research that will improve northern infrastructure design and protect our northern environment.

I’m pleased to announce that Transport Canada will be providing $669,000 from the federal Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative to proceed with two new innovative research and development projects on the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk highway.

Through this partnership, the department will construct test sections on the new embankment to study innovative techniques for installing drainage structures and reinforcing deep fill embankments with geotextiles.

Both installations will be fully monitored and the results will help us improve methods for constructing transportation infrastructure on permafrost terrain, an area of northern research and development in which Canada remains a world leader.

These projects complement other research the department has undertaken to develop strategies to mitigate the effect of climate change on the NWT transportation system. The department’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan sets a framework for ongoing adaptation initiatives including ongoing research. Green Light, the department’s environmental strategy, continues to drive the department’s mitigation activities.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Transportation will continue collaborating with other levels of government and the academic and engineering communities to advance transportation research. Through these partnerships, vulnerability assessments of airport runways, highways and winter roads are being completed. We have constructed and are monitoring the performance of test sections on Highway No. 3 and have ongoing projects assessing the impact of climate change on water levels on the critical Mackenzie River marine system.

engineering and research community and our northern transportation counterparts in the Yukon, Nunavut, Manitoba and Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, identifying and adapting to the potential effects of climate change are critical to the long-term sustainability of the NWT’s transportation infrastructure. We will continue our research efforts to identify opportunities to improve transportation infrastructure and services across Northern Canada over the coming decades and prepare the system for challenges related to climate change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 160-17(5): Transportation Research And Development

Ministers’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta , Mr. Blake .

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Social Passing

Members’ Statements

Frederick Blake Jr.

Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we are having a theme day on education. One of the challenges our students are facing today has to do with social passing.

A few of my constituents, as of late, have brought up the concerns of their children dealing with social passing. Many times our students, even though they are not prepared for the grade, are put in. They are just very concerned that we are setting up our students for failure.

They look back on when they used to go to school and how they had to work hard, study hard in order to pass the grades. If they didn’t do that work, then they were held back, which made them try even harder. That’s what they would like to see for their children. They want this government to review the policies we have put in place for social passing. That way we can encourage our students and make them study hard. That way when they graduate, they can go to college at the right grade level, and the same with university. Thank you.

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Social Passing

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake . The honourable Member for Range Lake , Mr. Dolynny .

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Coordination Of Language Revitalization Strategies

Members’ Statements

Daryl Dolynny

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NWT is a proud territory with 11 official languages, nine of them Aboriginal representing the moral fabric of our culture and self-identity.

As proud as many of us are to declare this statistic to visitors and diplomats, it saddens me to think that not all is well in the world of northern language and culture. Evidently, many of our Aboriginal languages are in decline. Some are even

suspected of extinction if we don’t react accordingly.

Somebody must be asking, how is this possible when we pour millions of dollars annually into language and culture programs and services? The answer is not easily rectified with a dollar figure but more riddled with a crisis of governance, saddled with a lack of coordination and plagued with bureaucracy. If this sounds familiar, it should.

As with any attempt to deal with an issue through a myriad of different governments, so too is the complexity of accountability and transparency that is lost in design.

It is not the fault of any one party or agency or government as to why we face an Aboriginal language crisis in the North. We orphaned it years ago to the chagrin of complacency and, sadly, to its own colonialism and demise.

I have said on many occasions, to what rationale do we owe a language or culture to flourish when we have competing strategies such as the Aboriginal Languages Board directives, the Aboriginal Revitalization Languages Board directives, the Aboriginal governments’ five-year language plans, ECE’s 10-year Strategic Framework for Culture and Heritage, an Aboriginal Languages Secretariat accountability plan, the NWT Languages Commissioner monitoring plan and, of course, the recent department’s review of the Aboriginal Languages and Culture-Based Education or ALCB directive?

I have serious concerns about the viability and effectiveness of this recent ALCB directive and note a lack of coordination of all these recent levels of governance. I mean, how on earth is language supposed to survive the smothering blanket of bureaucracy? This is foolishness and it must stop.

I call upon the Minister of Education to look at this serious lack on this coordinated territorial approach to Aboriginal languages and to properly clarify and justify all these various labels of competing governance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Coordination Of Language Revitalization Strategies

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny . Member for Nahendeh , Mr. Menicoche .

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Dechinta Bush University

Members’ Statements

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to be standing here to speak about the Dechinta Bush University today. I have many constituents who have completed the seven-week programming at the Blachford Lodge and are furthering their own communities.

We as the Government of the Northwest Territories have been growing up with the onset of devolution, and so should our education system. Canada is the only circumpolar country without a circumpolar

university. I believe strongly, as the board of directors of the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning who operate the Dechinta Bush University, that it is time for us to establish a full-time accredited university in the Northwest Territories.

Since its inception in 2009, the Dechinta University has successfully provided land-based post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories. Dechinta is accredited by the University of Alberta and the University of McGill, which means the diplomas granted are from them. The Dechinta University cannot grant a northern diploma without first being empowered by the Education Act of the Northwest Territories.

I do want to acknowledge that they are being financially supported by the departments of Education, MACA, ENR, but for the most part, and gratefully so, is also privately funded by foundations.

The Premier of the NWT has been on record for saying that we need made-in-the-North solutions, and here we have a real made-in-the-North solution to establishing a recognized and accredited university in the Northwest Territories.

I challenge the Minister of Education to also support and create this made-in-the-North solution to a post-secondary education. Certainly, we do have the Aurora College which provides excellent service; however, we are not complete as an education system unless we have a university we can call our own.

Dechinta has to be recognized in our Education Act to be an accredited institution that can fully grant major and minor diplomas to our Northerners. In the past five years they have proven that university-calibre education can be taught in the Northwest Territories. They have also proven that there is demand for it. For the past three years, applications are far exceeding the spaces available. Students that are applying believe that they should not have to leave the North to pursue a degree relevant to their future, unless it is their choice. With this interest, Northerners do want to be educated in the North.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Dechinta Bush University

Members’ Statements

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

In closing, we have to take the opportunity to empower ourselves as a territory by providing a truly complete northern education system. We must consider seriously the efforts of the Dechinta Bush University to offer to ourselves and to the world a truly unique major and minor diploma programming. Mahsi cho.

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Dechinta Bush University

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche . Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Balancing Educational And Cultural Pursuits

Members’ Statements

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to give a shout out to the 8,350 students in the Northwest Territories and the 49 schools across the North and the 800 educators in the 33 communities in the eight regions. That was from a newsletter that I received this morning. Thank you, Minister Lafferty , for sending that over to us.

I also want to say a special congratulations and support to the 62 teachers in the Sahtu region who are working with our students and making a difference in the lives of the students.

At the same time, I was reading a quote from an Ojibway elder, Mr. Jimmy Jackson. Mr. Jackson said, “We’ve got to learn what’s going on today in the world, and we’ve got to to get an education so that we can survive.” I thought about this quote this morning because I know that we need to get an education either on the land or in school so we don’t lose. That’s key. We need lawyers, doctors, teachers, carpenters and welders. We need skilled people to help other people, and we need to learn and be in a state of learning all the time.

We also need to remember our culture, learn our dances, learn the significance of our dances, learn to sing our own songs, learn our songs, learn our language. In the education system we need to maintain our culture, our identity for the future generation. That’s the most important education, is to tell the young people that you can be whatever you want to be, but you have to work hard for it, you have to survive. You know, you can do that whenever you want. That’s the golden opportunity in the Northwest Territories. Be of service to other people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Balancing Educational And Cultural Pursuits

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . Member for Weledeh , Mr. Bromley .

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Education Renewal

Members’ Statements

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have all heard the traditional African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” In Alaska they take this one step further and say, “Raising a graduate is everybody’s business.” They recognize it is the responsibility of the entire community to be involved in providing the elements necessary to ensure success for our students, and so must we as we embark on education renewal.

When a student is successful, the entire community benefits. Children first need a solid grounding in early childhood development to ensure the full capacity to realize the potential of school-based learning. Without this foundation, there could be disappointment through even the best education programs.

The system they progress through must also reflect and address the issues that affect the ability of students to learn. A sole focus on building schools and student-teacher ratios and lesson plans is not adequate. Children who are hungry, tired, distracted or hyperactive are unable to pay attention and learn.

I am happy to see a focus on self-regulation, a method that students can be taught to ultimately help themselves to optimize the state they are in, in order to ensure they are solidly in the learning zone in and out of school.

In addition to self-regulation, social and emotional learning is now recognized as critical to effective learning and development of life skills that optimize lifelong learning and success. Social and emotional learning is a process through which people learn and apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions.

It is based on the understanding that the best learning takes place in supportive environments that make learning challenging, engaging and meaningful. Social and emotional skills are critical to being a successful student.

These skills are taught through effective classroom instruction, positive activities in and out of the classroom and strong parent and community involvement. All parts of the child’s social environment must be involved in providing the conditions that support learning. Besides teachers, parents and family, public leaders and every person in the community must work towards the same goal: healthy, emotionally stable, curious children, excited to learn and help each other learn.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Education Renewal

Members’ Statements

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Communities must be assisted to recognize the importance of the factors affecting education because, after all is said and done, raising a graduate is everybody’s business.

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Education Renewal

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley . The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake , Mr. Moses .

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Dechinta Bush University

Members’ Statements

Alfred Moses

Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start off by saying that was nice to see the NWT Teachers’ Association set up their display and their meet-and-greet in the Great Hall this morning. They do it every year to talk about the successes and the great work of their educators.

I’d like to recognize all the educators throughout the North, but take this opportunity to recognize a

certain group that does extraordinary work, and that’s the staff at the Dechinta Bush University. They have taken a very unique approach in promoting our traditional knowledge, culture and education throughout the Northwest Territories and getting participants from all the regions. They actually utilize a lot of our elders to promote and revitalize culture and traditions, something that is needed within this government, while also working on other academic achievements.

I’d just like to mention a few highlights Dechinta has done over the years. First of all, they’re celebrating their five-year anniversary of land-based, university-accredited education. As my colleague Mr. Menicoche said, they’re getting more applications than the funding that they have to meet these growing needs and people that want to go to school and get educated. Not only educated in the academic sense but also educated in traditional knowledge and culture, which is something that’s being lost in some of the regions.

This year alone, 97 people applied for 30 places, and for the spring they’ve had 34 applications and only 10 spots, so that means 24 other people are losing out on this very important education.

Dechinta has been operating in the NWT since 2009, and in that time they have had 250 course completions – and listen to this – and no dropouts during that time. You compare that to our education system, you can compare that to Aurora College system, compare that to any post-secondary education institution that we send students to down south, and this is 100 percent completion rates. That goes to show that we need to support this university in a bigger and better way.

In fact, 10 people are in this program for the springtime and yet we’re spending millions of dollars on programs in the Aurora College system and we’re not even close to those numbers for certain programs. We’ve got to re-evaluate how we’re spending those dollars.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Dechinta Bush University

Members’ Statements

Alfred Moses

Inuvik Boot Lake

There are a lot of good statistics and highlights that I’d like to recommend. I don’t have the time to do it at this moment, but what I do want to do at this moment is just thank Dechinta staff for their commitment to the delivery of quality education, traditional knowledge and culture, and utilizing our elders to do this, and also recognize them for the passion that they do in providing this work and for their dedication in making a difference in the lives of people across the Northwest Territories and in our young adults who are wanting to get an education and go back to school.

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Dechinta Bush University

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses . Ms. Bisaro .

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Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s Education Week, so it’s very timely to have a theme day today on education.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is currently pursuing many initiatives. Education Renewal and Early Childhood Development, ECD, are just two of them. ECD generally encompasses the education and care provided for two- to four-year-olds. In the NWT it means licenced daycares, preschools, junior kindergarten and the Aboriginal Head Start program. Using that definition, about 70 percent of NWT two- to four-year-olds attend an Early Childhood Development Program.

That’s pretty good, but what is the quality of education and care that the children are getting? One of our programs, Junior Kindergarten, requires licenced early childhood educators, but a daycare licence issued by the GNWT does not require the staff that they employ to be certified. That they’re not required to do so is a direct result of how much this government spends on ECD. Although JK is fully funded by the GNWT, preschools and licenced daycares are not.

Canada, in comparison to other countries, spends much less for ECD programs, and in Canada the NWT spends the least of all Canadian jurisdictions on early childhood education, in 2014 just 1.1 percent of our total budget. Quebec, on the other hand, spent 4.3 percent of their 2014 budget on early childhood education.

The results of a recent study by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and the University of Toronto show that only 1 percent of the NWT ECD budget goes to fee subsidies for early childhood programs. The GNWT does provide funds to daycares to assist in their operation, but there is no fee subsidy for daycare users, the parents. Amongst the provinces, some spend up to 65 percent of their early childhood budget on subsidies for parents and families. Here the GNWT child care user subsidy is only available by application through income assistance.

To quote the report: “Government subsidy levels often do not match the fees licenced centres must charge to attract and keep qualified staff. Low-income families are unable to pay for the gap between the fees charged and the subsidies governments provide, forcing them to settle for unregulated options.” In the NWT that means unlicensed day homes, a good option for child care, but not the best.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

The best would be a licenced facility with required certified early childhood educators and a mandated curriculum, but the NWT has no standards. Day homes do not have to have certified early childhood educators on staff, nor does the Department of ECE require the use of an approved curriculum. That’s not the case in other NWT ECE programs.

As part of the education renewal project, the Department of ECE has advised that the Early Childhood Development Action Plan includes a review of funding and governance for ECD programs. Part of that review is supposed to evaluate child care costs for families. This review is long overdue. We have a patchwork of programs for ECD and inconsistent methods of funding. For example, licenced day homes and preschools have not seen any significant increase in their funding for at least seven years and yet JK is fully funded.

Change is needed, and the sooner the better. Thank you.

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Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro . Member for Yellowknife Centre , Mr. Hawkins .

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Supporting Aurora College Programming

Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Kofi Annan, the former secretary general of the UN, had said, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” I couldn’t agree more. I really believe education is the true future before us. It’s one we can write and help others write their own future.

I once again call upon this government to take a hard look at what it’s doing to the future of education. We’ve all heard about the travesty of its plan on junior kindergarten, not thought out, well-conceived and believed in, but yet not thought out.

Let us not see another crash against the rocks on the Aurora College future. We see a program here with great promise and potential, but we see little future in it with the government not paying the attention it deserves.

Aurora College, in my view, has a real future in our North. It will have a real factor on where we go in the North. As I said, education is the real future. We must be asking ourselves, are we expanding and working in the right direction? Are we meeting the needs of the people today for the people of tomorrow? We could be expanding our two-year Social Work Program into a four-year bachelor’s program. We could be addressing, through Aurora College, the education needs through our student teacher program. There are so many ways to teach for the future, not teach for just today, not teach and address the past problems. We must pause for an

environment that develops the potential of the future, not figure out how to fill holes in the past.

Let us not destroy the potential before us. There are many opportunities here and we may ask ourselves, well, what are they? Let us right a path towards a positive future with Aurora College. Let us blueprint an opportunity.

We’ve all heard about the potential of the Canada Winter Games coming eight short years away. Let us consider this. I’ve asked for the expansion of the college many times. I’m not the only one who has brought this to the House’s attention. The Canada Winter Games will be calling upon this territory, maybe even this city, perhaps this government, to help support an athletes’ village.

What a better gift to the people of Canada, through the Canada Winter Games, than having an athletes’ village that was turned over to the future of the college? That would be the future of every student who wants to be educated in the North, and that would create the type of potential, foster an environment and show that education matters to Northerners. I know it certainly matters to me and it definitely matters to everyone on this side of the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Supporting Aurora College Programming

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins . Member for Deh Cho , Mr. Nadli .

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Facilitating Educational Success In Small Communities

Members’ Statements

Michael Nadli

Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Education is about going to school, learning… [Translation] …we learn from the school. We sit around the table and listen and learn. Also, we work in the bush, as well, to educate ourselves in our culture and…[Translation ends]

…our extended families and the knowledge is passed on through... [Translation] We learn from our culture. We learn from our legends and this is how our culture is passed on. This is how we learn as Dene people. [Translation ends]

…sometimes it is a detriment to the society of the NWT. Sometimes we are reminded of the reality that we are just fresh out of the residential school experience, and to go forth in education you have to be removed from your family and from your community. There’s still a persistent view that once you do that you become a different person. So parents, at the best of times, have a hard time letting their children go to an institution of changing a person that they love and care for into another person that’s educated and will go forth into the future.

The current reality is that in the NWT a First Nations community on average has a Grade 9

education. We have low levels of attendance. Our high school graduation rates are very low. At the same time, our students in the small communities don’t fare as well as students in the larger centres and…. [Translation] …for our young people we have to make sure that they grow up to be good people, and if they are well educated they will have a good future. Having them represent us in the future as good people would be beneficial for us. [Translation ends]

That’s what we think. But today the view from the elders is also that, you know, one elder in particular, or some elders that I’ve come across coined this phrase that I take to my heart and, roughly translated, it says, “You go into the future holding a pen, and that’s how you’ll gain a foot into society.”

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

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Facilitating Educational Success In Small Communities

Members’ Statements

Michael Nadli

Deh Cho

[Translation] Our elders say we will go into the future holding a pen. This is how the old people are saying we will benefit from the education [Translation ends]

…and together at work to agree that as a goal we need to act upon this and make it a priority to ensure that we improve the lives of our people, all of our people in the NWT. One goal that we should all aspire to work towards is our high school graduation rates. Let’s agree that by 2016 we will graduate with at least 2,000 students by that time. Mahsi.

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Facilitating Educational Success In Small Communities

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Nadli . Member for Hay River North , Mr. Bouchard .

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Implementation Of Junior Kindergarten

Members’ Statements

Robert Bouchard

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise too today, along with my colleagues, to discuss Education Week. Obviously, with Education Week we think of our teachers. We had the opportunity to talk to the NWT Teachers’ Association. We are very thankful for those teachers that work in the Northwest Territories. We all know, in our personal lives, teachers that helped us out to get to where we are today.

These teachers are working hard, in the evenings and on some of their own time. We talked recently about some of the sporting events and how some communities do really well in certain sports because of the commitment from some of those teachers.

Recently, over the last year, we’ve had an attack on the teachers and the education, and we see that was the way junior kindergarten was implemented. There was lots of pressure financially on those

teachers and the DEAs to find the money to implement junior kindergarten the way it was rolled out. That’s why we sat here and debated the junior kindergarten so strongly. The fact that they have so many financial pressures now, to add junior kindergarten to that system was not fair. It needed to be implemented in a different process. It needed some funding.

Junior kindergarten is a good idea. We support the concept of junior kindergarten, but not the way it was rolled out. It needs to be implemented by the communities for the communities.

We know there’s a review currently underway of junior kindergarten, and I will have questions for the Minister later on how that review is coming and where the DEAs and those teachers can ask questions on how to implement junior kindergarten for their community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Implementation Of Junior Kindergarten

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard . Member for Hay River South , Mrs. Groenewegen .

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Investment In Hay River Transportation Infrastructure

Members’ Statements

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement yesterday was two and a half minutes but it seemed to be like two and a half seconds, so I wanted to take this opportunity… I’m going to break from my colleagues on the education and I want to talk about one of my favourite subjects again today: Hay River. One I really don’t need any notes to talk about.

I pride myself in being a very optimistic person. I’m not pessimistic. When people say, oh, gloom and doom, I go, hey, look it, think about that nice $35 million mid-life retrofit to the Diamond Jenness Secondary School. Think about that new $65 million hospital we’re going to open here soon. Think about that $10 million for extended care beds that we’re going to be building in Hay River soon. I always try to focus on the positive.

---Interjection

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Investment In Hay River Transportation Infrastructure

Members’ Statements

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Oh, the list could go on. I try to focus on the positive, and these are good projects and they tide us over from year to year and season to season and they provide good infrastructure. But the problem is that if Hay River is truly the hub of the North, we cannot afford the erosion of those things that make Hay River what it is. Those things are the lake, the river, the rail, the road.

Right now, to get a bunch of train cars from High Level to Hay River, because of a lack of investment in the infrastructure for the rail, you can go 10 kilometres an hour. It takes two days to get from High Level to Hay River.

I know it’s not our government’s responsibility to put capital money into the rail bed, but as a government we certainly have an opportunity to talk to companies like CN Rail to talk about what are we going to do about that.

We cannot afford the erosion of those things that are foundational to what Hay River was built on and those things that are the underpinning of the economy that we will generate if those are there. The problem is the erosion of those things.

I join my colleague from Hay River North today to talk about dredging again. Whether it’s for Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard has the west coast, the east coast and the Great Lakes and Hay River. That’s an inland harbour in Hay River and that’s been a mainstay of our economy, having that inland harbour. When visitors come to Hay River, they see those big ships sitting down there and they go, oh, my gosh, I never dreamt there was an inland harbour in Hay River like this.

It is there; it’s exciting; it’s wonderful; but it’s soon not even going to be able to take a fishing boat, a recreational boat, or a Canadian Coast Guard vessel out of the harbour in Hay River because we haven’t done the dredging. Again, the government says, hey, not our issue, not our problem.

So, yes, thank you for the good things you do. Thank you for the government jobs. Thank you for the government infrastructure. But we need some help with the underpinning foundational things in Hay River that make it what it is, and that is the transportation hub of the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Investment In Hay River Transportation Infrastructure

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen . Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier , Mr. McLeod.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Yellowknife South

Bob McLeod

Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize the Austin family: Dad, Andrew Austin; mom, Kim Austin; sister, Maggie Austin; and brothers, Lachlan Austin and Malcolm Austin. As you know, Saturday night was the 9th Memorial Cup Challenge between the RCMP and the Yellowknife firefighters, and I’m pleased to announce that over $40,000 was raised, and the Austin family is going to Disneyland tomorrow.

---Applause

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dolynny .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Daryl Dolynny

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce, to you and through you, as we just heard from the Premier , the Austin family, but I don’t believe I’ve ever in the history of the Legislature introduced a superhero to our

Legislature. I’d like to introduce The Incredible Malcolm.

---Applause

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny . Mr. Moses .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Alfred Moses

Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are joined here today with some individuals that graduated the Dechinta program, Dechinta alumni, as well as staff, and I’d just like to take the opportunity to recognize all those who have gone through the program: Ms. Cheryl Mandeville, Savannah Lantz, Justina Black, Rebecca Grooms, Charlotte Overvold, Trisha Smith, Mandee McDonald, and some of the staff as well, and Jimmy Billard and Erin Freeland-Ballantyne.

Just to note that of the 100 percent completion, 49 percent of those individuals pursue further education post-secondary, 57 of them are employed and 90 percent of these also are in the NWT labour force. Good job on the work that they do.

I’d also, at this time, like to welcome the Austin family and want to recognize the great support that this community has done over the weekend, as I attended the hockey game as well.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses . Mr. Ramsay .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take a second too. I’ll start with recognizing the Austin family. I understand they’re off to Disneyland tomorrow and I wish you safe travels.

I also want to recognize a constituent, one of the chief organizers of the Memorial Cup Challenge this past weekend, Chris Johnson with the Northern Safety Association. Welcome, Chris.

I know MLA Dolynny was also organizing the event on Saturday and I want to thank him for that as well.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay . Mr. Beaulieu .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I have a constituent in the audience. I would like to recognize Cheryl Mandeville.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . Mr. Yakeleya .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to recognize the Dechinta students here and also to the special family here, the Austin family. I want to say thank you to all the people who made this event happen for the family on behalf of the Sahtu. Congratulations.

I also want to recognize two of the elders from the Deline leadership, the elders Andrew John Kenny and Leon Modeste.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . Mr. Hawkins .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess Minister Beaulieu and I will share recognition of constituent Cheryl Mandeville who actually lives in Yellowknife Centre but is from Fort Res, so we’ll share the constituent.

As my colleagues Mr. Dolynny , Mr. Ramsay , Mr. Moses and Mr. McLeod, I too wish to recognize Malcolm Austin. The Austin family has been going through a terrible challenge and I think they deserve to be recognized for their strength and I admire very much how they’ve come together for this fight. I also recognize how much this community has come together to help support them. I was at the community fundraiser with Mr. Dolynny at Sir John some time ago and the community is truly behind you 100 percent and we all wish you very well on your trip to Disneyland. Enjoy every moment of it. Thank you very much.

---Applause

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins . Mr. Lafferty .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would like to also recognize students from Dechinta. We’ve been working with them for many years now and they have been working with us in Education. We’ve been working very well and moving forward with education.

Also, I would also like to recognize the Austin family in the audience. I realize that they are in a situation, but we are going to support them, also with prayers for them.

Also, Dave Roebuck, NWT executive director. I would also like to thank him for being in the audience. Thank you.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . I’d like to welcome everybody here in the public gallery today, especially Mr. Malcolm Austin. Welcome to the House.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Item 6, acknowledgements. Mr. Blake .

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Acknowledgement 16-17(5): Canada Winter Games Medalist Annah Hanthorn

Acknowledgements

Frederick Blake Jr.

Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, one of the highlights of work in our communities is celebrating success. Today I want to acknowledge Annah Hanthorn from Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories.

Nineteen-year-old Annah has captured gold in the 7.5 kilometre cross-country skiing at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George.

Annah has trained in the Yukon for the past few years and is at the Canada Winter Games representing Team Yukon; however, we share in her accomplishments as her roots are in the Northwest Territories.

Her younger brother is competing for Team NWT. Judah Hanthorn is at the Games for cross-country skiing, and her mother, Lynn Hanthorn, is a manager for Team NWT cross-country skiing. So, with a family gathering, this was a wonderful experience to share for Annah.

Fort McPherson is a very proud and excited community celebrating the success of Annah and her gold medal achievement.

Mr. Speaker and Members, please join me in giving Annah a huge round of applause and in sending congratulations and best of luck for future races. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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Acknowledgement 16-17(5): Canada Winter Games Medalist Annah Hanthorn

Acknowledgements

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake . Item 7, oral questions. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake , Mr. Moses .

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start off with questions today in follow-up to my Member’s statement about the great work that the Dechinta University is doing. I know our government does partner with them in terms of getting research brought up to the university and also in terms of some of their programming.

In my Member’s statement I talked about the 100 percent completion and not having enough funding for all the applicants. What concerns me is the number of applicants that don’t get into the university. What options do they have and are they able to get into Aurora College or another program? Even the enrolment rate at Aurora College has been declining over the years with more interests going into Dechinta University.

One way that we can offset this and support such a strong program that not only focuses on achievement but focuses on the traditional knowledge and culture, as well, is to increase some of this funding and actually look at ways that we can create core funding for this university and the work that they do.

Would the Minister be willing to commit and willing to look at the work that this university has done and commit to higher core funding moving forward given the success of this program? Thank you.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses . The Minister of Education , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. With Dechinta Bush University, it has been successful to date, since 2009. I was just there last fall and I wanted to meet with the staff, meet with the students, and it was a very well-experienced visit. I’ve always been supportive of the Dechinta University Program and I will continue to do so.

When I met with the staff at the Dechinta Campus, they highlighted some of the challenges we are faced with. I expected the proposal that’s coming down, so this is an opportune time to discuss some of these aspects. We will be entertaining a discussion on this. Obviously, Aurora College will be a partner as well as U of A. Those are some of the discussions we are currently having. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Inuvik Boot Lake

I’m glad to hear discussions are in the works and moving forward. I haven’t seen government work so hard in terms of education and developing this Education Renewal and Innovation, working with Aurora College and making changes in our education system. We’ve done a lot of work in the last three years. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I’m looking at ways we can move forward.

We have already got a very unique university looking at unique ways to educate our people. One of my colleagues mentioned Canada not having a university. When we met with the Norway ambassadors for NWT Days, they mentioned they have the most northern university in the circumpolar region. They are doing a lot of great things as well.

Would the Minister not only work with the organizations here but look at how Norway has worked and created a university and help promote Dechinta at the same time and get those talks underway as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Most definitely. I believe Dechinta is a foundation we can build on as well as working with other partners. There are other countries that have established universities, even in a small population. So we are currently exploring those areas and doing a thorough research because we want to compile the information, sit down with Dechinta, the college and see where we can fit it in. U of A is part of the process as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Inuvik Boot Lake

Yes, one of the highlights that Dechinta University does is they have relationships with the U of A, U of Vic, UBC and McGill and have brought millions of dollars of research to the North. I know the Minister is aware of that as they’ve also worked in partnership with Dechinta. Within the Education Act, would the department look at committing, possibly by the end of this term, to making an amendment to the Education Act to recognize, along with leading universities in Canada, the Dechinta Bush University Centre for Research?

Would he look at amending that act so we can recognize the work that Dechinta is doing and all the research they are doing and keeping that here in the North? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

There are a lot of things on the go right now, a lot of discussions happening. There are also Skills for Success within my department that Dechinta is engaged in as well. We want to engage them. We need to find those individuals with the talent. Not only that, but if we need to change within our Education Act, obviously that will take some time. Those changes have to reflect our engagement with the general public as well. We are currently in discussions with the Dechinta and also the president of Aurora College and the U of A. There is a proposal that’s been discussed and we are moving forward on that. I will be updating the standing committee in due process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses .

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Alfred Moses

Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, 90 percent of the alumni go into the NWT labour force. I made a comment yesterday about the NWT Labour Force Framework.

Will the Minister work with Dechinta University and work with our alumni to get them into the labour force within the Northwest Territories as well as create jobs in our small communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Not only the Dechinta alumni but others as well. We have a great deal of graduates coming out of our college in the Northwest Territories. The Skills for Success will highlight those individuals and what kind of credential and qualifications industries or GNWT or the private sector needs. We want to train those individuals as well. Yes, those are the tools that we need to deliver to those individuals. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 687-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The honourable Member for Nahendeh , Mr. Menicoche .

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement as well as Dechinta University.

When the organizers began Dechinta University, probably more than five years ago when they were dreaming their dreams, they were focusing on establishing a university in the Northwest Territories.

What is our strategy, our position on establishing a university in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche . The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When I first met with Erin Ballantyne in 2009, I believe, or even sooner than that… No, when I first was elected as Minister of Education , she presented to me and I told her you had me at hello.

---Laughter

This was a very exciting project at the beginning and I still have a vision of where Dechinta University is going. It is before us now and we are currently discussing it. We have to work with all the partners as well. There is also the Aurora Research Institute in Inuvik with Skills for Success as well. All the different initiatives have to come into line with the Dechinta University and the programs they offer and all the stakeholders we need to engage with. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

I’m glad the Minister has a working relationship with the Dechinta University since its formation. Where they are heading these days is they’ve proven themselves in the last five years and their name is out there, not only in the Northwest Territories but right across Canada and internationally, as well, in that people are interested. They are saying you’ve got a university, but I think, yes, it’s a university in name but I think the request is to get the name, Dechinta Bush University into the Education Act so it can be accredited to offer their own major and/or minor diploma to our northern students or anyone who is attending.

I asked the Minister earlier about the strategy for getting a university and now this question is about recognizing that we can and should be the Dechinta University into the NWT Education Act so that they can be accredited in issuing their own diplomas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

As I stated, there’s a variety of parties that we need to work with. With the college campuses we have in the Northwest Territories, obviously we deliver degree programs, we deliver master’s programs and Dechinta also offers university programs. So we are doing very preliminary work with the work that Dechinta has done to date and what programs the college is offering at this point. There is a variety of partners that we have in southern institutions and how can we best put that into perspective as a northern university program deliverer.

Those are some of the areas that we are currently discussing today and we are involving the Dechinta team as well. They will be part of the process along the way because they provide valuable information as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

I know the Minister is talking about it being a longer process than we expect. Of course, it’s like many things in government, it takes a while to change initiatives or steer the ship.

In terms of that, what’s the department’s position on increasing support and funding for the Dechinta Bush University programming that’s out there? Mahsi.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Within our Education department we have contributed, over the last three years, our contribution, because I feel that Dechinta can go places with the program that they are currently delivering. They are very unique compared to other programming that we currently deliver in the Northwest Territories. So we will continue to subsidize them; we’ll continue to support them. In 2013-14, obviously, we provided $153,000 as a kick-start. In 2014-15 it went up to $415,000. So these are the discussions that we are currently having, what kinds of resources that are required. Again, they’re very different. They’re very unique. So, those are considerations that we are talking about, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche .

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Also, since we’re also talking about representing Canada with the Dechinta Bush University program, I’d like to ask the Minister on his next visit to his federal counterparts, or if there are any others – perhaps CanNor can be approached – about having a federal investment in our Dechinta Bush University and federal supports.

I’d like to ask the Minister, can he do that the next time he meets with his federal counterparts? Mahsi.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Most definitely. These are discussions that we need to have at a higher level as well. CanNor could be a partner in this. They have been a partner in various initiatives within the GNWT. So I will be presenting that, as well, where they stand with a northern university.

I believe it was around 2008-2009 when we presented the idea of a university in the North. Obviously, they want to focus on the program delivery, the federal perspective. We need to get an updated status on that. If we can expand on that, by all means, I’ll be pushing that Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

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Question 688-17(5): Dechinta Bush University

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . I’m going to remind the Members today on the clock, we had eight sets of questions in 15 minutes. So I want to make sure the Members that are going on a

preamble for your questioning, shorten it up and let’s get rolling here. Ms. Bisaro .

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and I want to follow up on my statement and talk a little bit about daycare and subsidies and funding for daycares.

Late last fall the Department of Education undertook a review of the Early Childhood Program, and they advised licenced daycares and day homes last August that they would be undertaking this review and that they would want to get these day homes and daycares involved.

I’d like to ask the Minister right now… Sorry, the review was to be completed in October. So, I’d like to ask the Minister for an update on the status of this review. Was it completed in October as was scheduled? Thank you.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro . Minister of Education , Mr. Lafferty .

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There’s been a review that’s been undertaken and I believe my department, since October, has been finalizing their input as well. So, I’ll have to get the latest status on that. I don’t have that detailed information in front of me as we speak. Mahsi.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

To the Minister: Part of the review, as I understand it, was to look at the review, to review child care costs for parents and to particularly look at the impact that child care has on their cost of living and so on.

I’d like to ask the Minister, is that part of the review that either has gone on or is going on? Will the review be looking at costs of child care for parents? Thank you.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

That particular review, I’m just getting some information here that it is due in March. Obviously, since we’re discussing that the overall review, we want to be on the right track.

Also, within the review process we want to touch on all funding aspects as well. What the Member is referring to will be captured. We’ve been hearing from the day home and daycare operators their concerns and opportunities that we may consider. Those are discussions that we are currently having.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for the information on that completion date. I guess since the daycare operators, day home operators were advised that this would be done in October and now the Minister has just said it’s going to be completed in March, I’d like to know why there was a delay. I would also like to know from the Minister if he can provide me with a list of the daycare and day home

operators who have been contacted for input into the review.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

The review will be due in March, so that’s within the next couple of weeks. During the review the department obviously engaged the licenced daycare operators and also the staff, licenced family day home operators. Also, part of the process is Education, Culture and Employment regional early childhood consults. Those are the parties that have been involved along the process.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro .

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am hearing from residents that are involved in day homes and daycares that I don’t think they’ve heard from the department to provide input into this review.

I would again ask the Minister if he would commit to provide me at a later date a list of the people that have been contacted to provide input into the early childhood program review.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

We will provide the latest update of all those we have engaged because it’s very important that we hear from the day home and the daycare operators from their perspectives and their concerns that are brought to our attention.

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Questions 689-17(5): Investment In Early Childhood Development Programs

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The Member for Range Lake , Mr. Dolynny .

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Daryl Dolynny

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the ECE budget tabled recently, it’s hard not to notice that the balance between forced growth and new initiatives is disproportionately balanced within the department’s budget plans. A question many of us have asked is, how is it possible to initiate such a monumental shift in program design with no new funding such as the Education Renewal and Innovation Action Plan? Moreover, with high school graduation right around the corner, many are still concerned with our territorial student outcomes.

My questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment . I wish to ask the Minister about his budget for the upcoming year, which is relatively flat. Actually, when you factor in forced growth, he is dealing with fewer dollars than last year, yet we continue to hear how much change is forthcoming with the ERI Action Plan.

Can the Minister inform the House how is his department funding this new initiative?

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny . The Minister of Education , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When the Finance Minister presented the mains and the business plan for 2015-16, he made it clear the financial realities of this government and as we move forward it’s going to be a very tough position to be in. The three-year Education Renewal and Innovation Action Plan was created to use internal and existing funding as much as we possibly can. We know that’s coming with other departments, as well, not only ECE.

In addition to the $150 million that we contribute to education boards across the Northwest Territories, we have identified $6.2 million over a three-year period. In 2014-15, $2.4 million; 2015-16, $2 million; and also 2016-17, $1.8 million. Those are the monies that we identified that will be well spent and invested into our education system.

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Daryl Dolynny

Range Lake

I guess the devil will be in the details when we finally see this in action. We are being made aware that the Alberta Achievement Test, the only real assessment tool to gauge how well or poorly our students do in language arts and math skills, is being phased out.

Can the Minister tell us what tools will then be used to monitor a baseline for assessing student outcomes across the NWT?

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

We are closely monitoring the Alberta AATs. There have been some changes that are happening and we are working very closely with them. My department is currently looking at replacement of the assessment and including Alberta’s new tools for student learning assessment. That’s a new tool that they have developed which was piloted in several schools in the NWT this fall as well. We’re working very closely with Alberta. It is too soon to know if the new Alberta assessment is a good fit for the NWT, but those are areas that we will continue to push forward with Alberta and see what’s best for the Northwest Territories to develop our own assessment tool.

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Daryl Dolynny

Range Lake

There is a feeling that the phasing out of the Alberta Achievement Test was a direct response to the continued low scores year after year in some of our smaller communities and that any new standardized test will only camouflage the real issues facing these struggling students.

How can the Minister guarantee that any new tools in standardized testing will be equally representative for all northern students?

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

The phasing out of the Alberta Achievement Test is an opportunity for our government to find other methods that we can work with that have a northern perspective. Tools that assist in student achievement are an appropriate way that takes into account our students’ realities and also their northern context. My department staff, ECE, is working to determine

what is the best tool for the Northwest Territories along with working with Alberta and the standardized tests that are most applicable and suitable for our northern context for our small communities as well. Those are just some of the discussions that we are currently having.

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny .

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Daryl Dolynny

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the pathways to high school graduation rates, what does the Minister have, or in place, to improve these student outcomes?

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

We are being challenged in the Northwest Territories. We know that NWT students are graduating from high school significantly below the Canadian average. We’re fully aware of that, and our system is not meeting the standards. The whole Education Renewal and Innovation will definitely capture that. We’re fully aware of that and we’re developing tools to capture that as well. Along the way, it’s a three-year mandate, a three-year action plan, and we will be keeping the standing committee up to speed while we’re making changes along the way.

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Question 690-17(5): Education Renewal And Innovation Action Plan

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Mr. Hawkins .

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have questions for the Minister of Human Resources right now. We’ve all been made well aware of the experience and certainly the security issues that have happened around Stanton Hospital where many of our staff have come under some scares due to a security issue. My fear, of course, is that Stanton may be more of a symptom of problems as opposed to a particular one.

Rather than focusing strictly in on Stanton, which would probably be a mistake at this particular time, I want to look broadly across our public service and ask the Minister of Human Resources what would his department be doing, knowing that, I believe, in 2013 we’ve had a couple assaults on health and social services staff, and I know we’ve had some assaults late in 2014. What we’re noticing is a bit of a trend across the continuum of the public service, and I just want to make sure our staff are certainly safe and we’re doing the proper assessments.

Specifically to the Minister of Human Resources is: What type of assessment is being done to ensure our staff across the territorial government are working in safe environments and they have protection and access to resources to ensure their safety?

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins . I’m going to remind people in the public gallery to turn

your cellphones off. The Minister of Human Resources , Mr. Beaulieu .

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These types of incidents can be brought up to the occupational health and safety committees. Each department has an occupational health and safety committee, so those would be vetted through those committees.

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

With this recent trend of incidents at Stanton or even downtown in some of our offices or anywhere else, for that matter, there’s been a bit of a trend. Has this not stimulated the need for this type of discussion to ensure that our employees are safe, and as such, what about the government taking initiative on doing an assessment to ensure our staff are not only safe but have the proper resources at their beck and call as and when necessary?

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Thank you. As we do here in the Assembly, we go through a safety drill. My understanding is that each of the departments through that committee can do safety drills for their own departments or their own floors and offices. I’m not sure how recent or how often these safety drills occur. I can check with the Department of Human Resources who, in turn, will have to check with all of the departments and we can get an update on that. But that would be the process. Thank you.

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Again, I appreciate the answer from the Minister, but we’ve got a bit of a trend here where some of our employees, be it at Stanton or at some of the downtown offices, and not only recently but there has been over a number of months in a couple of years that the staff have been in jeopardy or some type of peril because of these types of incidents.

Rather than waiting for the occupational health and safety committee to make its recommendation or even to meet for goodness sakes, what proactive approach is the Minister of Human Resources doing and directing through policy to ensure our employees are safe rather than waiting until an incident happens and then figuring, well, maybe we should talk about it? Thank you.

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

As I indicated, it would be something that does go through the Occupational Health and Safety Committee. However, I can touch base with the deputy. I believe that Human Resources holds responsibility in the safety area of all employees in the public service. I’ll ensure that I hold discussions with the deputy minister, who in turn will discuss with the other deputies to see what type of safety plans are in place for the safety of our staff across the entire public service not only here in Yellowknife but across the whole territory. Thank you.

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins .

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Minister for that because this lack of safety trend is quite alarming and it’s not just about one facility, it’s about all our territorial staff. I’m going to quote Minister Abernethy ’s comment the other day, “Our staff are the most valuable resources. They are the backbone of our system and we need to ensure that.” I want to make sure that the Minister is very clear on exactly what he’s going to do and when we’re going to do it, because I don’t want to wait for yet another incident to happen for anyone to be standing by and saying I told you so.

We don’t want to be talking like that. We would like to be speaking from a proactive point of view of how we’ve done this, how we’ve approached this and continue to be relentless for the safety of our employees. Seeing news reports that the employees only find out about these particular plans via Hansard is not a right approach. I want us to be as proactive as possible so we’re not talking about this in the future. Thank you.

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Thank you. I agree. I will contact the deputy minister of Human Resources as soon as I am able to do so, most likely tomorrow morning. We will have that discussion and she, in turn, will contact the rest of the departments to see what type of safety plans are in place for the safety of our public service. Thank you.

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Question 691-17(5): GNWT Workplace Safety

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . The Member for Hay River North , Mr. Bouchard .

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Robert Bouchard

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have questions for the Minister of Education today following up on my Member’s statement. The questions that I have are about the junior kindergarten review.

Can the Minister indicate where that review currently sits in the review of junior kindergarten? Thank you.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard . The Minister of Education , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We are currently going through the review process. We’ve hired consultants to engage with the general public, the DECs, Aboriginal leadership, Aboriginal Head Start program in the communities, the licenced daycare and family day home operators, and more specifically on how the JK is being delivered in the communities. Also, there was an Arctic Aboriginal Head Start Council. Their programming, Aboriginal governments and the NWTTA is part of the process and the public engagement.

We’re expecting that report and the overall review to be completed by July 2015 and then we will sit down to figure things out from there, how it will look,

and I will be sharing that with the standing committee. Mahsi.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Robert Bouchard

Hay River North

Can the Minister please provide us with the information of who the consultant is? Can we publicly display who that consultant is, how they can be contacted for the public and DEAs to provide their comments sooner than later? Thank you.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Yes. We will provide that to the standing committee, who the actual contractor is. It’s a contractor that’s well known to deal with these matters in other jurisdictions as well. So they’re more specifically on the junior kindergarten area. We also have Dr. Andre Corriveau who’s working very closely with us on this particular file, especially when it comes to the health and social services area. This is a joint initiative between my department, Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services. So we’re doing what we can to capture everything within that review. Mahsi.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Robert Bouchard

Hay River North

As of yesterday the Hay River DEA had not heard from this consultant. The South Slave District Education Authority had meetings just recently and nothing on their minutes indicated that they had a meeting with the consultant.

Can the Minister indicate to me when this consultant will be in the South Slave area or the Hay River area? Thank you.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

When we first initiated this discussion, obviously the terms of reference were shared with the standing committee and it’s also on our website. I will be getting back to the Member more specifically when they’re going to be visiting his community, along with other Members’ communities, as well, to gather their information and do the overall review. Mahsi.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard .

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Robert Bouchard

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has talked about their website. Will the consultant have a link to their website on how to contact them directly to provide their input through the website and through public process? Thank you.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi. If the information is not there at this point, we will make sure that it is available. Mahsi.

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Question 692-17(5): Junior Kindergarten Implementation

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Question 693-17(5): Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Government of the Northwest Territories did a needs assessment in the Sahtu region, the number

one issue with the results of that assessment was the literacy skills of our young students either in school or who have finished school.

What is the Minister doing, what is this department doing to improve the literacy in our small communities in the schools that can show great results by giving some resources to the teachers? Thank you.

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Question 693-17(5): Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . The Minister of Education , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 693-17(5): Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to educating our community members, obviously literacy plays a key role at the community level. We work closely with our partners, as well, the NWT Literacy Council. We provide funding on an annual basis and they work very closely with the community. They’re always in the communities promoting literacy, whether it be in schools or at the community level.

We also work with the DECs and DEAs to promote that even further, providing resources, providing funding available to them. So we continue to monitor where we can improve our programming. I’m always open to improving our programming as well. This is an area that I feel we need to invest in continuously. So we’ll continue to do so. Mahsi.

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Question 693-17(5): Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

In the Globe and Mail

article it talks about the Aboriginal Literacy Pilot Project that dramatically improved the test scores in Ontario. I wonder if the Minister is aware of this First Nations reserve school in Ontario. It was struggling with the basic literacy test scores, and they have done a pilot project in that community that has greatly improved the results of these test scores for the young students.

Is this something that the Minister would be interested to investigate and to see if this could be done in the Northwest Territories in looking at a pilot project in the Sahtu communities?

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Question 693-17(5): Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

When it comes to literacy, we’ve made some changes. We’ve had some pilot projects in the South Slave region. We’ve had literacy coaches. It’s been very successful to date and we continue to use that as an example for other schools as well.

The pilot projects we’ve done over the years, so we’ve seen some results out of that. Within our Education Renewal and Innovation, this will obviously capture the literacy component, and we’ll be discussing further with our key stakeholders where we can best invest in certain areas, whether it comes to DECs or DEAs. They are our true partners, so we will continue to work with them.

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Question 693-17(5): Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

When the government did a test in the schools, we found out, shockingly, that in our schools in our small communities, 50 percent are operating below their grade level. That’s shocking.

So, I want to ask the Minister again, with him probably not having the privilege of reading the Globe and Mail I received, to look at a pilot project in our communities that would increase these numbers here. They’re doing it at the Hillside School on the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation and Walpole Island Elementary School.

Is the Minister willing to look at this, investigate it and say yes, this could be done in our small communities? Because we’ve got to do better than 50 percent of our students. We’re failing.

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Question 693-17(5): Aboriginal Student Literacy Pilot Project

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

I fully agree that we have to do better. That’s what we’re eyeing and focusing on in the Educational Renewal and Innovation. We want to make some changes along the way. Literacy coaches, as I stated before, have been very successful, and we want to capture that in other schools, as well, because we want our students to succeed throughout the Northwest Territories. Those are the discussions that we are currently having. We’ll continue to do so with our key stakeholders and our partners. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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