Alfred Moses

Yes, we have.

Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department will be continuing to work with the college and other post-secondary partners to ensure that program is better aligned with the needs of the labour markets. We're also reviewing the Student Financial Assistance program to see how it might be used to incent and encourage NWT residents to pursue post-secondary education that is aligned with in-demand occupations and the needs of the labour market.

The Skills 4 Success document is also being used in high schools, and we sent it to all the schools across the Northwest Territories so that information can be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Aurora College's new strategic plan will not directly involve other private postsecondary institutions in the Northwest Territories. It will look specifically at how the college can best serve the interests of the NWT residents. We did have NWT residents, as stakeholders, give input into that strategic plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I also agree that we need to build and develop skills within our small communities, remote and isolated communities especially, in getting our people back to work. Any way we can figure that out innovatively, using our community learning centres a lot better, working with our Aurora College to look at the programs that are being developed, but also working with industry and the private business sector to see what is needed and how we get a betterskilled workforce coming out of the postsecondary system. Those discussions, we'll have as soon as we see that report and what is in that report.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Any partnerships we can create and have that will help bring better outcomes for residents of the Northwest Territories, we are happy to get in those discussion, whether it is federal or even triterritorial with our northern partners. We are already having some meetings, as you know, with the curriculum that Alberta is developing, and our input into that, but any type of partnerships are more than welcome to have those discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

With the announcement, the NWT Teachers' Association, all the school boards, and our staff are working out a way to support our teachers in the schools, and this is going to be on a school-by-school basis, how they make those decisions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Currently, NWT has the highest student-teacher instructional hours in all of Canada. Our teachers, on average, are working about 52 hours a week. Research has suggested that increasing teachers' professional learning and strengthening a teacher's instructional practice is one of the most powerful and effective ways to ensure quality teaching and significantly improve student achievement. I believe there isn't a policy that we have to address. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have that level of detail or the specifics at this moment, so I'll take the question as notice. Thank you.

I don't have that detailed information in front of me right now, but I can commit that I'll get that information and I will share it with the Member.