Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We talked about junior kindergarten along with other initiatives that we want to start working towards as part of our Early Childhood Development Framework and rolling out the action plan towards that. Part of that discussion is thinking about junior kindergarten. From what we’ve heard, we’ve heard over and over that we have to start from an early age.

There have been several reports. The Member and other Members, as well, reported on various research. One of the reports, of course, is from Ontario, that has very encouraging results, with a 7 percent increase in the number...

Mr. Speaker, the Early Childhood Development Framework will be capturing that. It is very serious to our department and with the Health and Social Services, so we will continue to push that forward in this House and in the Northwest Territories across the board. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, certainly that will be part of the option that we can consider as we discuss part of the action plan and moving forward. Again, reiterating that this is the first I heard on the Grade 13. We haven’t heard that before. It will be new to the Northwest Territories. By all means, we can definitely be discussing that. Mahsi.

We have conducted various research across our great country of Canada, even outside, internationally. What the Member is referring to is some of the research that he would have on his file, if he can share that with us as well. We have all these different research that we conducted through our engagement with the committees as well. We have to try and use the best practices that are out there available to us instead of reinventing the wheel or the challenges that we are faced with today. In my view, we have all those documentation, the data, the stats. Now we need to move forward and develop...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Member for putting the motion forward in this House. As Members are aware, to meet programming infrastructure needs, all departments follow and also plan within the GNWT’s established capital planning process. The capital planning process contains a method to identify the highest priority projects using these five conditions: protection of the people, assets and environment, financial investments and also program needs and requirements.

For the proposed education or training projects, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment explores...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Part of the process, of course, is re-evaluating the overall education system, the programming that we’re delivering into our schools. Alberta, of course, is going through some changes as well. We follow their curriculum, their departmental exams. If there are changes at that level, we have to monitor that, take that into consideration and follow through with our education system.

Yes, there will be some changes that will reflect on our northern perspective, and we want to have a curriculum that is comparable, on par, at a Canadian level. That is our goal and that is our...

Mahsi. I was witness to the e-learning as well. I was participating in the class setting and sharing with students from Tuktoyaktuk and McPherson. Even part of Inuvik, I was in class. I have seen a difference and I’ve told my department that we need to invest in these key areas in small communities such as Nahendeh, the six small schools, and also the Member’s riding, the four communities, and other communities, as well, that are very isolated and may not be delivering core courses that are required, so we can have academic students moving on to post-secondary. That’s my goal and objective as...

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...