Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, we can certainly talk about the process that we have in place, whether it be the MLAs coming to the Minister and dealing with certain issues or the process. We try to rectify the problems or challenges that are before us. Sometimes it does take time to deal with those matters because of the documentation that’s required. Whatever we do, Mr. Speaker, we try to avoid the court proceedings. That should be the last resort as much as we can. We currently deal with a variety of, I guess you can say, options of how we can deal with matters at hand. Within the Department of Justice, I...

This could be one venue that we can certainly stress to identify funding, but at the same time there has been huge success in the South Slave region, of which the Member’s schools are part of. We want to use that as a pilot project where they are almost meeting Canadian standards. So certainly those are the areas that we will continue to focus on and would like to use as a pilot project for the Northwest Territories. We’ll continue to make those a success.

I agree this could be part of the discussion that the education council could have within their mandate. We have given them additional funding to what we provide on an annual basis, so that could offset the costs of dealing with absenteeism and the enrolment issues that we’re faced with as a challenge. We are making progress. As we started since September to today, we are making slight progress and positive steps. The enrolments are starting to climb again. Those are discussions that can easily be undertaken at the education council level.

Mr. Speaker, February marks an important time to recognize education in the Northwest Territories.

Later in this session I plan to update Members about Education Week that is being celebrated from February 22 through February 26. Across the Territory, there are many people who are passionate about education and training at all levels of our system. Their efforts don’t go unnoticed as their contributions are important for building success. On the front lines, teachers and college instructors continue finding innovative ways to teach course material,; support staff in our schools are helping...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 10, Exemption Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Truly I am part of the committee that has been established. This is certainly one of the highest priorities that we have within our education department, working along with the education council and the Dehcho education authority to improve the enrolment, the absenteeism that’s before us, and to make that a successful project in the communities. We are making progress and will continue to discuss that as a priority item.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There is a challenge that is before us on the enrolment issue. It impacts most of the schools in the Northwest Territories. Clearly we are making substantial changes in that area. There have been numerous meetings undertaken. On the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that’s been undertaken since last April there has been discussion on how we can improve in those areas. We have an initiative whereby we’ve given funding to school boards, education councils, so they can focus on specific areas of initiatives such as, if I can share the South Slave region where the...

Those logistics are still being worked on as we speak. It’s in the planning stages, but certainly those preferences and priorities will be given to the students that are returning to school. We want every student to succeed in our school system and succeed in life as well. At this point all I can say is it’s in the planning stages and, certainly, those considerations will be taken into effect.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment would like to announce that starting on April 1, 2010, minimum wage in the Northwest Territories is going up.

This is the first increase to the minimum wage in the Northwest Territories since 2003. Despite the high cost of living, the Northwest Territories’ minimum wage rate fell behind the national average and has not kept up with increases in other costs like rent, groceries and fuel.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is phasing in the changes over the next two years. In 2010 the rate...

We will continue to work with employment development officers in the communities; also with the organizations we’ll continue to work with. Whether it be client service officers, employment officers in the communities and the regions we’ll certainly be prepared to deal with the new initiatives that will be before us. We’ll be prepared as much as we can when the time comes.