Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to say that the department is committed to work with all of our communities to provide quality education programming for communities if they wish to do so from grades 10 to 12. In the case of Tsiigehtchic, the Members and myself would like to see the youth and the children stay in the community to get their education. What I would encourage the Member to do is to speak with the District Education Council, as well as the superintendent, to invite the superintendent into the communities to develop options into how we get grades 10 to 12 in the community of...

Currently, the department has developed a handbook for all DEAs and DECs to help them understand what their roles and responsibilities are with all aspects of education, including creating that safe environment for students as well as teachers in the school community to participate in. We've also developed resources supports that are online, free training, and we've also worked to ensure that DEAs and DECs have the supports in place for when the regulations comes into effect September 1, 2016. We're also providing orientation workshops for all newly elected members within the DEA and DECs to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and before I begin, I would just like to acknowledge all Members for wearing their boutonnieres today in support of standing up against bullying. The regulations were worked on when the legislation was first introduced into the House during the 17th Assembly. These regulations will take effect on September 1, 2016, and a lot of consultation was held with DEAs, DECs, as well as superintendents and teachers, as well as students throughout the Northwest Territories to ensure that we got the regulations right when we developed these school codes of conduct. We also based it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled “Aurora College Annual Reports, 2014-2015.”

Earlier today in the speech that I gave in the Great Hall, we do a contest, a Stand Up and Stop Bullying campaign where we recognize students who have developed some visuals. We also have visuals in the school, in the public. We have a website that has, I believe, over 3,000 likes on it, as well as a Facebook page. The website is stopbullyingNWT.ca. We are taking a multi-pronged approach at this. Schools are also open to do their own awareness campaign to stop bullying. In the schools that I have been in, I have seen the posters in the hallways and in the classrooms as well.

Early childhood development is a priority of this government. It became a priority of the 17th Legislative Assembly. Anything that we can do to ensure that our staff and our children have the opportunity to develop in the best way they can. We are willing to work in those areas. I can't commit to a timeframe at this time.

In the 17th Legislative Assembly, some of those concerns were brought forward. We do have funds that go to the daycare providers, but also to creating a Childhood Staff Grant program. We have a scholarship for people that want to go out and get trained. Currently, I believe our programs are working well, but if the Member would like to adjust that issue, it's something that, throughout the course of this government, we can take a look at.

At this time, we cannot commit funds to such an option.

The Department of Education funds our education authorities to the tune of about $150 million every year. If the Member and the community and the parents wish to look at providing grades 10 to 12, I would encourage them to speak with the superintendents, as well as the DECs, to look at the possibility of providing that type of program in the community of Tsiigehtchic.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, there are a couple programs that we're running. First one is the Skills for Healthy Relationships program, that are targeted to grade seven to 12, the WITS Program which was mentioned earlier in the Member’s statement, and that's targeted from kindergarten to grade six. And then the other ones that we're having is Positive Behaviour Supports targeted from kindergarten right through to grade 12, as well as online resources, and obviously the Kids Help Line is another way that we can do that. Plus things that we do as well here, as we did in the Great Hall...