Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure that the Member can trace it exactly the way that she did, but I would agree with her that this government does recognize its obligation to provide an education to children. I think that what I have been saying is that we believe we are providing the funds to the DEC, and through them to the DEA. If there is a problem, that needs to be addressed at the local level, and the department may need to work with the DEC and the DEA to make sure that the solution is found. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since 1999-2000 to this year, the amount of funding that has been provided to divisional educational councils to fund programs for children with special needs has gone from just over $6 million to over $16 million. So there has been a pretty dramatic growth in the amount of funding in the past four years. It has more than doubled. That I think indicates that there has been some commitment on the part of this legislature to provide funds, and I guess what we are going to have to find out in the next little while is whether or not that increase has been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s in all our interests to make sure anybody who is capable of getting a higher education in the Northwest Territories is given a hand to get that education. So the department is constantly reviewing the programs that are offered and looking at ways to improve them. I would say that as part of our regular reviews we will continue to do that and make sure our programs are offered in the best way possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to reinforce what the Member said in his statement. This is a federal program and we deliver it in the Northwest Territories only for the convenience of our residents to make sure that it’s easier for people to get it, rather than having to write to someone farther away to get it. We don’t set the terms and conditions. What the residents of the Sahtu will have is access to the same programs that residents have across the Northwest Territories, which in general are very supportive of education and training. If the Member has some specific issues, I would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We don't have a program of scholarships and bursaries that are specifically limited to teachers who want to take this kind of upgrading or training. There is, however, a fairly large pot of money, which is part of the collective agreement with the NWTTA, that is available for teachers for upgrading purposes. What has been found to work best with courses like the aboriginal language and culture programming is part-time delivery in the regions, so that it can be delivered close to the workplace. Often this kind of upgrading doesn't require a huge investment of time or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the strategic plan may not specifically mention that sort of program, but it is certainly one of the basic tenants of the teacher education program and one of the reasons for offering the program right through to the baccalaureate or bachelor degree stage in the Northwest Territories. We are anxious to see more teachers who are born in the Northwest Territories and conversant in the language of their community who have been able to go through the process and become fully qualified teachers with a B.Ed. to work in the North. That's one way in which we are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in fact through our participation in the Western Canadian Protocol we have enhanced the curriculum across all western provinces in both territories to include more history of the North, and in the social studies curriculum you will find that in particular starting even as early as Grade 4 that there is a fair emphasis on northern history. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, through the teacher education program at Aurora College there is again a significant emphasis on northern history so that teachers who come through the northern system are even more...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has no flexibility in student financial assistance. The regulations must be followed explicitly. The Minister cannot bend the rules. So I would be quite happy to investigate the situation if the Member would subsequently provide me with the name, and certainly follow up. The student always has the right of appeal to the Student Financial Assistance Appeal Board, and I would encourage the student to make that appeal. Again, just from what I’ve heard, it sounds like someone made the inadvertent mistake of not recognizing part of the...