Kevin A. Menicoche

I know that we have a huge opportunity to review social passing or peer passing strategy. How extensive will the review of the education system be when the department undertakes the additional review? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke about social passing that’s happening in our schools. As I travel in my constituency, many parents raise concern about that. I know that there is a practice out there and I’d like to ask the Minister of Education, why is our education system allowing social passing. Thank you.

Thank you. I was a little bit concerned whether it was district operations or programs. It sounds like it is more specific of programs there. I am satisfied with that answer.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the department summary for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment main estimates 2013-2014 on page 12-7 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much. Just on a different topic altogether with the disaster compensation, I see that we’ve got grants at $15,000. How would that disaster grant have applied to the community of Nahanni Butte for this year or last year?

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Just with regard to the Canadian Zinc Socio-economic Agreement under grants and contributions of $30,000, how is that money going to be used?

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just want to say that I will be supporting this motion and I believe that we can do definitely more. I’ve read through the NWT Tourism Marketing Plan, and even though we’ve identified an extra $600,000 in this year’s budget, I truly believe that we can capitalize and further show the world how spectacular NWT we are, once we’ve got the appropriate budget to do it.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just in terms of the review, I know that there are some successes from the Aboriginal Student Achievement Strategy, and if the Minister will review that, as well, and take some of the best practices. I know my colleague Mr. Bromley brought up an excellent program out of Finland. I just want to know how extensive this review will be. Will it be just internal? Will it be looking at other jurisdictions in Canada? Will it be looking at other jurisdictions throughout the world? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know that this might have been a passing fad 10 or 15 years ago when they introduced it, but it’s not working.

I’d like to ask the Minister, does he have any statistics or can he show any productive results that show that peer passing is working in our system. I know that the parents who approach me say it’s not. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I, too, rise in recognition of Education Week and I’ll gear my Member’s statement towards that.

The Education Minister has recently mentioned his plan to review and renew our education system. I support this review and, I believe, it should be extensive. The practice of social passing should be one aspect of the review. It has long been a concern in the communities that I represent. The department has always denied that social passing in our policy, but it is a practice that some schools use.

Students are passed to the next grade, even though they are not ready...