Alfred Moses

The money that was allocated during this government to implement junior kindergarten was $5.1 million. We are currently working with education boards to see how we are going to roll that out with the enrolments of students and families putting their four-year-olds into the school system. Junior kindergarten itself will not have an impact on inclusive schooling. As we mentioned before, the four-year-olds will be in the school system, so they will have access to extra resources, extra supports throughout the entire school.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the Budget Address this government did commit to fully funding junior kindergarten, and based on questions around inclusive schooling, Aboriginal language culture-based education, as the Member has mentioned. Our department continues to name those funding levels. So inclusive schooling is self-funded. What we are funding, it is actually above what we are legislated to do. The Aboriginal culture-based education, we are continuing to fund those as well. When we are talking about the implementation of junior kindergarten, we took into consideration a new funding...

We're always in consultation with the executive and the staff over at the Aurora College, looking at their programs and how we support one another and some of the tough decisions that do have to be made. Any students who are looking at going into a social work program or any program that is post-secondary, we have career development officers in our regional offices, employment transition officers. We also have career guidance counsellors in the schools, and our CDOs are actually going and working in the schools, and that's an emphasis that we did put on them. So there are many areas that we're...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize and welcome all the delegates for Daughters of the Vote. We do have two participants from Inuvik, who knows, might be taking over the Member for Range Lake’s position here. Ms. Alyssa Ross and Ms. Raven Firth, welcome, and I hope you enjoy the proceedings as well as take a very good understanding role in the work that we do as the 19 legislators of the Assembly.

I'd also like to recognize Ms. Sandy Lee, Ms. Jane Groenewegen and Mr. Tony Whitford for all the work that they've done in this House and I would also like to thank the...

Currently we've got information out there to all parents who are enrolling their four-year-olds into junior kindergarten. We're getting information out to the board chairs. We're meeting with superintendents to see the rollout of how junior kindergarten is going to look in 2017-18 school year, so we're working with the stakeholders to make sure that it's a smooth transition.

Obviously, we've still got to wait for some numbers of students who are being enrolled. As you do know, it is an optional program for schools, and they also have the option of a half day or full day, so some of the things...

As I mentioned, those initial dollars helped set off the implementation of junior kindergarten in 20 of our 33 communities, so it's ongoing funding from the beginning, the onset, and if the Member and committee would like a briefing on it, a detailed briefing on junior kindergarten, I'd be more than willing to do that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, we always review our programs, our services, how much money is spent in previous budgets to this year's budget. Looking at the reductions with some of the education authorities, there was administration area in the amount the Member mentioned of the total contribution. So it was about $800,000 of the total contribution of $155 million, or about 0.52 per cent of the total contribution provided to the education authorities.

As I mentioned, the department continues to maintain the funding levels for inclusive schooling. We work very collaboratively with the Department of Health and Social Services to do assessments, support children with disabilities, developmental needs. We are developing and revising a JK to Grade 9 health curriculum in order to ensure preventative approaches to children's health are included. A lot of areas we are continuing to work on to address some of the concerns that are being brought forward.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That money helped roll out junior kindergarten to 20 of our 33 communities across the Northwest Territories and is an ongoing funding that we are moving forward with. It is the same with the new dollars that are coming through. As we roll out junior kindergarten, it will be funding that will be provided to our education authorities. With inclusive schooling, it seems like it is a concern of the Member. We also work with the Department of Health and Social Services to provide a range of programs and services to diagnose and support children with disabilities and...

That goes back to the 17th Legislative Assembly. I don't have that initial detail, but I can get that number for the Member and get back to him.