Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to touch base on devolution. Phase one and phase two of devolution is well underway for implementation in 2014. However, there is still no confidence in the regions and communities that we are all working towards decentralization. The plan is status quo and no movement to the communities. It’s no wonder that we have to spend more in Yellowknife, because we support and put more people here. But as a representative government of the people, we must take this opportunity to ensure all of our regions benefit.

We, as Regular MLAs and regional MLAs, must...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad the department wants to see improvements. My constituents and my parents want to see improvements, too, but dropping the Alberta achievement test, I’m just not convinced that’s the right thing to do right now. You’ve got to have some other baseline to measure student performance if we are going to improve it.

The Minister said something interesting about getting out to the communities and that’s what I’ve also heard is that parents want to be engaged. So I look forward to the rollout of that plan, but more specifically to my issue, what alternatives are Education, Culture and Employment considering to the Alberta achievement test and why is the department thinking about changing the way it measures student performance? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There has been discussion lately about the educational renewal in the Northwest Territories. In theory, the renewal is supposed to strengthen student success and enhance the quality of education in small community schools. It’s also supposed to improve the way we measure student achievement.

I’m pleased the Department of Education recognizes the need for a renewal. However, along with many of my constituents, I’m not confident they’re headed in the right direction.

The thing is, parents in my constituency are terribly concerned about the poor quality of...

Thank you very much. I raise the same concerns about getting an increment in the capital expenditures in MACA and a couple years is probably not soon enough for some of the communities out there that have growing infrastructure needs.

Aside from that, I just wanted to ask the question about the Wrigley water plant and what’s the process there. I know that’s not in this capital plan but it’s an old Build Canada funding. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am pleased to see a lot of these expenditures in all the communities and most particularly the seniors centre in Fort Liard, much needed and much overdue. I am most particularly interested in the Homelessness Initiative and some of their plans, and certainly Fort Liard has one of the worst core needs in my riding. There is lots of overcrowding. I don’t know what criteria would be used to identify the communities that fit the program guidelines of the Homelessness Initiative. I’d just like to ask the Minister what kind of criteria they will be using for this...

In my research from the past six years, our students have not improved when they’re taking the Alberta achievement test. So do we actually understand why our students are failing the Alberta achievement test and can the Minister explain this phenomenon? What factors are involved here and why are we consistently failing these Alberta achievement tests in our grades? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in my Member’s statement I spoke about the Alberta achievement tests and some of the failings in our teaching in our small schools, in achievements, and concern of parents. When the Minister talks about education renewal, what exactly is he renewing and is he aware that what’s being taught is not what’s expected to be learned with that type of approach? Concerned parents have come to me time and time again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay. So just with the change in scope, is it still manageable within whatever capital they had allotted?

Thank you very much. When I first heard about this Homelessness Initiative program, I was quite excited. I certainly would like to see it as ongoing in future years for sure. I would like to know some of the definitions like small communities, because an initiative or program like this will certainly suit the needs of Fort Simpson. Many, many residents have approached me and said, lots of people come in from the small communities, they’re stuck there for weather. Often sometimes they actually stay in Fort Simpson, and the same thing that Mr. Yakeleya talked about, culture, faith, staying at...