Charles Dent

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the second time.

Madam Speaker, this bill amends the Education Act to provide that the Minister shall prescribe the hours of instruction for the academic year for kindergarten, subject to a minimum threshold of 485 hours. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Absolutely, we will have that kind of assessment information done as we work through the redesign process, largely because I am going to have to come back to this Assembly for money to pay for whatever program we design. So all of those numbers will be available, yes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I agree with the Member’s assertions to how the program should cater to those who have disabilities or, for that matter, people who are seniors. There are different reasons for people participating in the program and the program needs to accommodate those differences.

We are in the process of working through the redesign of the Income Support Program. We are at the point where we are going to be going back to committee very shortly with some suggestions for how our policies could be accommodated to deal with the different people in the different categories. We have...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Member has identified an area where we have a critical shortage of facilities across the Northwest Territories. That is in shops and opportunities for young students to gain hands-on education experience. We are hopeful that true partnership, which that’s exactly how the project got going in Fort Good Hope that the principal and community was able to strike with businesses in the region. They were able to outfit that shop and get materials for the program. We are hoping that we are going to see more and more of that. We have good examples in the Beaufort-Delta...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There are a number of initiatives that the department undertakes to encourage the retention of teachers. One of the first and the most important is the mentorship program that is supported by the department. This is to help new teachers gain experience in the system with an experienced teacher and to call on when they need advice or mentoring.

The Member specifically asked about housing, as well. Last year the Housing Corporation installed market houses in a number of communities in the Sahtu. I met with the board chairs of all regions, including the Sahtu, and...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am actually meeting with the department tomorrow to update the process and the timelines, but I would expect that we would be ready for the public part of the redesign process no later than the end of June or early July. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The program right now already provides increased assistance for people who are on disability. There is an extra $300 a month for people who are considered disabled. So right now, there is an increased allowance.

Having said that, the Member has made a point that I am quite prepared to agree to and that is the purpose of supporting people through the Income Support Program who are disabled is one of providing an opportunity for citizenship. So as we redesign the program, I will be working with my colleagues to try to determine what is an appropriate level of support...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think that’s a great idea. We should find ways for schools to take advantage of other facilities that might be in communities. It’s certainly something that we welcome. So it’s already a possibility. We also encourage young people in school to get involved in apprenticeships and through the Schools North Apprenticeship Program, young people can gain hands-on experience and get credits towards their CTS courses, as well as time put in towards an apprenticeship. So we do have a number of different opportunities. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Absolutely, yes. It is the role of the apprenticeship office. It’s the role of all of the staff that work in Education, Culture and Employment to make sure that people have the best opportunity to advance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will do my utmost to try to achieve that.