Statements in Debates
The school this fall is just around the corner. A few months. I can’t guarantee that all the revisions are going to be in accordance with what’s been said, but we’ll do what we can as a department to follow through with the issues that are brought to our attention as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and lay that out. It will be shared with the Members as we make progress on these matters.
The ALCIP program, we’ve extended that from one year to two years, a diploma program. Really, it’s up to the students as well. Some students are taking it full time, some students are taking it part time. We have to respect that as well. But I am working closely with the Aboriginal organizations on identifying those individuals who are willing to pursue a higher education to become teachers, of course, so we will continue to do our part in that respect. Mahsi.
That $400,000 is going to the schools for a Nutrition Program in the Northwest Territories. It will be expanded into the schools. I know this was an issue when we first brought that up were issued on administration, but I did commit the whole $400,000 to the schools in the communities. The schools, of course, can augment on the budget required for a school Nutrition Program by accessing other funds, as I indicated earlier.
I just want to break down that through government sources like Aboriginal Student Achievement, we have various programs that have been identified: Healthy Food for Learning...
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. There has been some increase in various positions. I can highlight just a few of them that will be stationed in Yellowknife: archivist in K to 12 literacy specialist coordinator, community literacy coordinator, and also dealing with the official languages, we have to deal with the court order that was before us, as well, to do our obligation as the Department of Education. Those positions are executive director, planning facilitator, French language administrative assistance, French language client service officer and there is also a literacy coordinator. Those are the...
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. We can clearly provide breakdowns that we provide to the schools. We don’t have that specific detailed information with us here today but we’ll provide that to the Members.
This particular issue has been addressed, as well, by some students; the usefulness of the student handbook. We are looking at a revision. It may not be useful to some students because a lot of information is on-line right now. This is an area we are making some changes to. As you know, there will be review of the SFA overall as well. This could be part of that. It’s been brought to our attention, so the revision, seriously we are looking at that as well.
Mr. Chair, the TEP program, the Teacher Education Program that we delivered in the past and we continue to deliver as well going into the South Slave, definitely, those students are involved with taking the program, whether it be the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program, the ALCIP program. There’s a great opportunity for them to pursue even more with the TEP program, Mr. Chair. That’s an area that we need to explore further, how we can attract those individuals to taking on these particular programming. Mr. Chair, I believe this is an opportunity for them to pursue these with this program...
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The money that was being referenced in the letter was the one-time money that was available in the current budget, the 2010-2011 budget. Certainly that funding does sunset on March 31st of 2011.
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Mahsi. We’ll provide that information. We don’t have it here with us.