Norman Yakeleya

For the record, this young gentleman that I’m talking about, the education did not contribute one cent to him being enrolled in a southern institution in Alberta. This individual paid for his education through washing dishes, attending Aurora College in the Sahtu region. This individual, when he found out that he was unable to enter into a post-secondary institution, it’s going to cost him $32,000 just to get in there, Mr. Speaker. Again, I ask the Minister of Education, is he willing to sit down with the Sahtu leadership, Sahtu stakeholders and look at engaging in a Sahtu educational...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the return to high school is not a very attractive option for many young adults, would the Minister consider changing the policy and legislation to offer student financial assistance to our young people who are doing upgrading in order to qualify for a post-secondary institution?

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve recently got in touch with the Town of Norman Wells and I asked them about this question. I wanted to hear from the Town of Norman Wells, because it’s the only community in the Sahtu that has cell phone service there. So I’ve spoken to the senior administrative officer and this issue hasn’t become an issue for the community. We did talk about the safety issue in the town of Norman Wells and I also know that Imperial Oil employees have their own rules on using cell phones. Like any other organization, I’ve heard that they’re not allowed to use them while they’re...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The parents of the Sahtu also want every child of theirs who enters into our education system to be successful and come back and contribute to the people of the Northwest Territories and, more importantly, into the community. After all is said and done, Mr. Speaker, I have a 19-year-old man in Edmonton with a Grade 9 Alberta education who was prepared to go into a post-secondary institution. However, he needs help. It’s $32,000 he needs in terms of getting into a post-secondary institution. Again, I ask the Minister if he would work with me, work with this young man in...

The Minister talked about the grave issues and the cost factor and all that. I say to the Minister in terms of this government in terms of the factors of not supporting our children who need to have support for upgrading on some of their courses to get into a post-secondary institution, I think those factors certainly will outweigh the concerns that this government has.

I want to ask the Minister, in terms of support again for this type of issue, would the Minister be willing to sit down with the Sahtu stakeholders to look at an education symposium in the Sahtu to look at solutions, to look at...

Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, we need to stand in front of our students as they work to achieve their goals. The future of our Territory depends on this. Let us clear the way for them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we need to ask the question are we, the government, failing our students or helping our students. You choose. Mr. Speaker, I ask this question because it puzzles me to hear so many stories of how our students just do not get the education here in the Northwest Territories that is of the same quality as education in the South. I will admit that what I hear is all about one individual student or another, but over the six years I have heard so many personal stories from the leadership in the Sahtu about the failures of our young people, that I have to wonder, is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the residential school survivors have an interagency committee within this territorial government. This has been supportive in ways that are beneficial. I want to take it a step further. I do know there is not a resident residential school advisor to the Department of Executive. Again, I would ask the Premier, once he does research this request, would he come forward to the House and have suggestions to appointing an advisor to the Department of Executive such as the Women’s Advisory Council had?

Some of the parents had sent their kids, or were told to send their kids, or kids were taken to these residential schools. Some of these parents, when they wanted to visit their children, had to stay outside the building and put their camps there and visit their children. There are lots of issues that need to be resolved there. I want to ask the Minister, the Women’s Advisory office provides a point of contact within the GNWT on issues of concern to women, would the Premier consider appointing a residential school advisor who would have a similar mandate to be a point of contact with our...