Jackson Lafferty

We have rolled out the Elders in Schools Program starting this September, and it’s based on the Members voicing their concerns and ideas in this House. We have developed an action towards that. It is a small start. We want to focus on the regions and on to all communities, the schools. We want to cover 49 schools eventually, and we will get there. Elders play a pivotal and very important role. I fully support that, as well, and we have started that this September. We want to increase that next year as well.

I don’t have the detailed breakdown of the cost. I would guess one professional teacher would be upward of $200,000 all inclusive, and travelling and so forth. This is a worthwhile initiative in our communities. Similar to the South Slave, the literacy coach has been very successful to date and now the e-learning is happening and we’re very closely monitoring it. We’re working closely with the Beaufort-Delta Board of Education and the superintendent and sharing all the information. Now, my department is evaluating the whole educational system, so we can partake in that, as well, in the small...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The truancy is obviously an important area for education renewal. The issue of attendance is being actively discussed at the national stage and also internationally. One of the reasons, I guess, for education change is it is happening everywhere. Alberta is changing their whole education system.

The Member is correct that some of the students are missing up to one day a week of school, which translates into almost two years. We’ve had discussion with that Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative as well. This is not acceptable and it compromises the students’ success in the...

Yes, I will be delivering the same messages to the college president and also the Board of Governors. Again, they are going through their strategic planning, so I am sure they will consider this as part of their discussion. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Focusing on the communities and also the regions, again, we have to work closely with the district education authorities and the councils. They have given us positive feedback on the success stories, as the Member is referring to, and focusing on the small communities. One of the pillars is focusing on small communities, staff development and student assistance. As we roll out the action plan, it will be captured, focusing in certain areas that require attention.

The Member is asking about the broad sweep and the particular focus. Those are discussions that we’ve had throughout our...

The Social Work Program has been very successful to date in the Northwest Territories. We had some previous graduates, 24 grads in the last five years. So the numbers may not be as high, but those are just some of the key areas, the key findings, that we must invest into the students and into the programming. We also have partnerships with the University of Regina to continue with the degree programs, the master’s programs. There have been talks about having potentially a bachelor studies in social work. That is some of the exploration that we are conducting with the college, the three...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I don’t like the word consultation; I like the word engaging. We have engaged with our stakeholders and they are part of the educators, the principals, the program coordinators. The Member is referring to front-line workers. I totally agree with her that we need to get ideas from those individuals. If we have missed out on those individuals and their input, I would like to hear from them either through my office, through my department, through DEAs, DECS, various partners that we have in the field. We’d love to hear from them. So, Mr. Speaker, if we have missed out on those...

Mr. Speaker, the proposed junior kindergarten has been highlighted. We did share with the standing committee, as well, what the plan is. From what we’ve heard from the general public, our engagement has told us that we have start from an early age, as well, so those individuals will be prepared when they enter K-12. So, we need to roll out the program. Part of the action plan will cover that. So, I will be informing the standing committee on the progress at that level. Mahsi.

I would love to hear from the communities, ideas and suggestions on how we can improve our overall education system. We are currently at the framework stages and are engaging the stakeholders to develop an action plan. That will be tabled in this House in the February/March session. Even after that, it is a working document. We are always making change to our policies. We are always making change to our programming. I will be open to those ideas that can benefit the North. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I will just again reiterate some of the findings. Long-term studies found that academic gains of entry to school will shorten a very few years at the beginning, but pay out significantly later in adolescence and adulthood. Those are just some of the school completion learning having an effective lifestyle.

When it comes to a proposed junior kindergarten, we have to work with the DEAs and DECs as well. We are working closely, of course, with Health and Social Services, as well, because it will have very positive ripple effects into our communities. These are just the preliminary...