Jackson Lafferty

I do agree that students with full stomachs learn better in school. So we’ll continue to support in that respect.

I did request the information and it is coming to our department through the communications department that we’ve initiated this with an outside source. So as soon as I get that information I will certainly share that with the Member.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have with me to my immediate right is the deputy minister, Mr. Dan Daniels, and also Mr. Paul Devitt, director of strategic business planning. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, across the Northwest Territories there are many school administrators who are leaders in their communities and who work hard to ensure that teachers, students and school staff have the resources they need to be successful, They all deserve our gratitude, and today I have the opportunity to highlight the work of two such leaders.

I am very proud of the fact that two administrators from Sir Alexander Mackenzie School in Inuvik are being honoured with national awards for their leadership. This year Janette Vlanich is being recognized as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals by the...

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present the 2010-2011 Main Estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

The government’s vision of northern people leading fulfilled lives and contributing to a strong and prosperous society is the driving force for where we are going as a department. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment strategic plan, Building on our Success, along with the government’s strategic plan and initiatives provide the direction for our 2010-2011 Main Estimates.

The proposed 2010-2011 Main Estimates for Education, Culture and Employment total $306.388...

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Mr. Speaker, I would just like to touch on some key points that have been addressed here today by the Legislative Assembly Members. One of the highlights is, of course, the decline of the caribou herd. We are facing a crisis here, also preserving our traditional harvesting, saving our caribou herd for the Northwest Territories.

We hear there is more than one herd, Also, thinking about the future, we talk about our younger generation, our great-great-grandchildren, the importance of working together, the GNWT, other governments, other First Nations. We all...

Mr. Speaker, yes, I would follow through with that with organizations. At the same time, we do have representatives here as well. The Aboriginal Sport Circle and also the sports organizations are clearly listening to us as we speak. So, with that mindset, we will certainly collaborate together and move forward. But this is a great opportunity for our representatives to be at the national stages, so we will support them, as well, through our educational system. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Member referred to our statements in the House. They are important statements. Having an organization, whether they be NGOs or territorial government organizations, promoting more sporting programs, whether it be Arctic Winter Games trials or Canada Games trials, Winter Games trials, we fully support students participating in those events, Mr. Speaker. At the same time, we are not ignoring the fact that they are missing school or being absent from school on a number of occasions but they go with their homework. They go with their guidelines of what needs to be done...

Mr. Speaker, I totally agree that we must meet all the students’ educational standards across the Northwest Territories. In fact, our main targets should be far-reaching to try and be ahead of the other jurisdictions such as the southern jurisdictions. We are developing the plans and implementing those areas and we will continue to improve in those areas.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the report that the Member is referring to we received just recently. My department is going through the overall review. The recommendations were brought to our attention and, clearly, we need to work with the community; we need to work with the Member on a going-forward basis. This could be part of the business planning cycle for next time around. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we did receive a letter from the Member’s constituent school asking about the education planning regarding their school and, certainly, we are committed to working on that. There is...