Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, part of the challenge, obviously, with NCS is their financial situation due to the fact that revenue from the federal government is not consistent or delivered in time. Due to that fact, there is a deficit situation. If we as the GNWT provide funding, it gets chewed up by the deficit. We don’t want that. We want the money directly to the Aboriginal broadcasting so they can continue their job. Those are some of the challenges I’m faced with as the Minister when I want to release the funds.

Again, it’s a very serious issue that we’re dealing with, with the CEO of NCS, and we’ll...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We have to follow the act, as well, the Education Act, which does speak to territorial-wide PTR of 16 to 1. That’s the legislation level that we’re working with that’s before us. We’ll continue to work with the school boards at that level. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated in this House, the $22,000 per student is one of the best in the country and we will continue to be proud of that and we will continue to invest even more in those areas. However we justify the number, we’re the best in the country. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I can assure that will be the case. We’re inclusive schooling. The special needs that are provided to education authorities through what is called inclusive schooling and that funding will continue. We’re not touching the funding. We’re dealing with the PTR at this point to deal with the JK. Junior kindergarten implementation, obviously, will not take away from approximately $26 million in inclusive schooling funding that education authorities receive on an annual basis. The amount of inclusive requirement is the fact that it is set out in legislation, so we have to work with that as well. At...

What the Member is referring to is revenue generation through business. That was at the discretion of the school board to decide a few years back to offer…now it will be called JK, junior kindergarten. So, obviously, again, it will be up to the parents to decide. The school board has two years to decide on that. So, Mr. Speaker, those are the discussions that we’ve had both with YK1 and YCS and NWT school boards on these implications. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I guess simply put is that we don’t have the new funding available to us. I’ve been trying to get some actual numbers from Finance where our financial situation is and obviously we’re not in a positive in that regard. In a perfect world, obviously, we would be seeking additional funding, but since we don’t have that at this point, I had to work innovatively and creatively within our department, so that’s what we have done. We’ve reached out to the PTR that’s available to us. We’re still under our legislated level, so you’ll have to keep that in mind. We’re at that point.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Education Renewal and Innovation Support Documents.”

Also, further to my Return to Written Question 17-17(5), I wish to table the following document, entitled “Enrolments and Contributions by Education Authority.” Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The day home operators are not sinking. Maybe that’s the view of the Member, but in my view, we will continue to support them. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, our work on Education Renewal and Innovation is well underway, with more feedback, information and support coming forward as we share our work with northern stakeholders and experts in the field.

As you know, we have held extensive engagements with many of our stakeholders, including our education partners. This inclusive approach has continued into the development of the action plan. As we speak, the ERI team is out in the communities and regions talking to the public, teachers, parents and students. Early feedback from these meetings is very positive and people are engaged and...

When we talk about legislation passed by this House, 16 to 1. So there has been a generous contribution over the last decade because we had money, we had funds at that time which we don’t at this point. In order to roll out the junior kindergarten, we won’t be the worse. British Columbia, as you see here, is 16.8, we are 16 to 1. Yes, it may be at the bottom, but it’s something to work with.

Then we have our Finance Minister in Ottawa meeting with the Finance Minister of Canada. There could be some changes coming. Certainly, we can re-evaluate our situation at that time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.