Alfred Moses

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the follow document entitled "Aurora College Corporate Plan 2017-2018." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I mentioned in previous communications with standing committee members, we are still early on in the implementation of junior kindergarten in all of our communities across the Northwest Territories. We did commit to continue to monitor and evaluate this implementation. Previously, we had 20 communities in the Northwest Territories that were successful in half-a-day, full-day junior kindergarten. We are going to continue to monitor and make any adjustments that need to be done as we roll out junior kindergarten throughout the Territories. It is still pretty early on in...

Mr. Speaker, over the past year the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has continued to make and implement significant changes in its programs for families, seniors, and students across the Northwest Territories. Last year, the federal government announced the new Canada Child Benefit. We revised our Income Assistance Program so that the new federal benefit is not counted as income for our clients. This change ensures all Northwest Territories' residents with families receive the full benefit of this new federal program.

Also, through a joint initiative with the Department of...

Yes. We are keeping in close communications with the education authorities. Through this process of implementation at junior kindergarten, we have also provided additional funding so that schools can hire additional education assistants to support the implementation of junior kindergarten. We are continuing to work with our education authorities. Usually, midpoints of the school year, if there are deficiencies as I mentioned in the standing committee, we can look at adjusting some of those budgets with the education authorities.

Yes, and it's based on the funding formula of 12:1 that we have mentioned when we were rolling junior kindergarten in terms of pupil-teacher ratios. That goes directly to the education authorities based on their enrolments. We are still finalizing some of the enrolment numbers for junior kindergarten at the moment, so that's how it is rolled out. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "2016-2017 Annual Report on Official Languages." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, now more than ever culture, heritage, and language are at the forefront of our thinking, in the Northwest Territories and in Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action; continued commitment to training and information on the history and legacy of residential schools; the Council for Ministers of Education Canada's Indigenous education agenda; and jurisdictions across Canada incorporating Indigenous history and issues into their curricula all speak to a renewed focus on Indigenous cultures and heritage at the national level. I will be bringing that lens to my...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today we held the Ministers' Culture and Heritage Circle Ceremony in the Great Hall, and joining us in the gallery are some of our reward recipients. I would just like to recognize our youth recipient Mr. Dang-Dang Gruben, our individual recipient Ms. Kiera-Dawn Kolson, our elder recipient, Ms. Catherine Bell Sanguez, our group winners the JBT Dance Group out of Fort Smith, and our Minister's choice Dene Nahjo. Members, please join me in recognizing and thanking our award recipients and their families for their contributions, commitment, and leadership to...

Yes, we do engage with other departments in terms of cultural awareness training, as well as the blanket exercise. Myself, I participated in the blanket exercise when I first got elected and was given the portfolio of Education, Culture and Employment. When I did it, we had other jurisdictions: Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Yukon. Nunavut participated in this as well, and we do encourage other departments and other leadership in the Northwest Territories who want to participate in this type of cultural awareness training. We would be more than happy to facilitate it as well, as we do have the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About three years ago, the department started developing this conference called New to the North, and any teachers who are just beginning their career in teaching or come up from the south or outside the Northwest Territories, they go through a series of cultural awareness training and make sure that all our teachers that come from the south understand the legacy as well as the history of residential schools and the impact that it had on our communities or residents so our teachers that are going into these small communities are aware and well prepared for the...