Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The information that I do have from Public Works and Services, working very closely with my department, is that there’s been a building assessment done in 2008, and the building ranking obviously came back as good condition at this point. But as the same time, my department visited the community’s school in November 2013 and met with the officials, met with the community members and identified one of the areas, the floor that the Member is referring to. It has been identified, the floor movement. My department is working closely with Public Works to resolve that issue as we...

I need to confirm that with the Program Review Office. Part of the target date will be either late this summer or before the end of this term of the government. We want to establish a policy, so we want to expedite that since we have the feedback from the standing committee. We will expedite the process along the way. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

With our programming, obviously there is always room for improvement. What the Member is referring to is enhancement of feature programs that we’re concentrating on as we speak. There are programs that we are going to enhance as well. So, it is looking at the programs and services in the 32 communities we serve. We will be making those changes that will benefit the communities along the way. Mahsi.

Yes, those discussions have been initiated by both parties, my department and also the school board superintendents. The actuals have been discussed, and not only that but based on the needs of our school operations. So, those are the discussions that we’ve been having with the school boards. So, yes, the actual is part of the discussion that we’ve had. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The new formula framework that we were discussing with the standing committee a couple of days ago, it is at a stage of going through the final stages. We’re at the point of finalizing that in the fall of this year, 2015, and obviously that will be going to Cabinet and going to the standing committee once we go through the process.

The formula funding framework has not been changed for the past 25 years, the contribution that we give to the education school boards. This is the work that has been ongoing for a number of years now. Now we are at the final stages. In the fall...

That’s the very reason why we’re changing the 25-year-old formula contribution framework, and we’re taking all those into factor, and based on the cost of living, the CPI and doing business in those isolated communities, the fly-in/fly-outs. So, yes, all those are on the table for discussion we’ve had, and we’ll continue to make those changes as we move forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Part of the process is to identify where the changes should be happening with the $150 million we distribute throughout the Northwest Territories, and we should be doing things differently. That’s what we’re focusing on. So, we have been working with the school boards on this particular matter. This is an ongoing document that we’re still working with. As I stated, it will be available this fall, 2015, and it will be ready to be rolled out in 2016-17. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize and welcome here in this House the 2015 Education Hall of Fame inductees who are here with us in the gallery. They are Lea Lamoureux, Ted Blondin, Doris Camsell, Dean MacInnis, Reanna Erasmus, Bruce Green, Carole Bachand, Marja Van Nieuwenhuyzen and Michel Louis Rabesca. I would just like to say congratulations to all of them as the 2015 Education Hall of Fame inductees.

What I’m willing to do is listen to the students and listen to community members on which area we should focus on, whether it be a bachelor of education, whether it be social work, the nursing degree-granting program or other specialized degree programs here in the Northwest Territories. Those are the people who are taking those courses. We need to listen to them. That’s what we’re doing at the current stage, having a survey from the college perspective, to hear and also receive feedback from the students who are taking these programs.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I guess part of the process would be for those students and also the community members who are interested in having a four-year degree-granting program delivered in the Northwest Territories, then that message can be delivered through the college, the venue. In order to make that happen, our legislation has to change as well.

Currently, we have three college campuses that currently deliver a diploma program, two years, and then they either continue with a third and fourth year degree social work or an option for them to pursue the workforce area. That has happened in the...