Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you, thank you, Mr. Chair. Motion 2, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories make a public commitment to guarantee continued reconciliation efforts in regards to education outcomes for Indigenous students such as the removal of semester limits and increase access to funding under the basic grant. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Masi, Mr. Chair. I support this motion because an increase in education funding for Indigenous students would have a huge impact on my community and Tlicho region and communities across the territory. The Standing Committee on Social Development has discussed how to improve education outcome for Indigenous students. During the 2020 review of early childhood to grade 12 education in the Northwest Territories, the Auditor General of Canada recommended the Department of Education, Culture and Employment identify what is required to provide equitable access to quality education for all students...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories increase education funding to Indigenous communities and Indigenous students in the Northwest Territories to improve the education outcome of Indigenous students. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to ask the Minister what is the current wait time in the NWT for speech-language services and, specifically, for children in school and why they are still -- why they are vacant, why there are so many vacant positions in the NWT? Thank you.

Okay, well, that's what I was going to say is how many of those SLP positions are currently vacant and how many are filled? That was the next question, but if she can still answer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how many speech and language pathology services positions currently service preschool and school aged children in the NWT? Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, if our education outcome is improved in small communities, we would enjoy -- we would have -- our Indigenous students are going to -- that's the same -- that's what we want for our Indigenous students as well, if our education is improved in our small communities then they will have the same access and we will have a lot of our students in that field, in the doctorate, in a Master's program, you know, undergraduate degree. But in the meantime, I know what I'm doing here so -- okay, so I -- I'm going to get back to the report, yes.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I support this motion because it is clear that significant disparities exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students when it comes to educational outcomes at all levels in the education systems. We have seen this time and again through reports on outcomes, and we see it in our communities directly. The GNWT must study this problem properly. There's so many studies that exist regarding this already, and it's getting to be too much.

The Standing Committee on Social Development believes that students in small communities who show desire to pursue...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I support this motion because a public commitment to guarantee continued reconciliation efforts like the removal of semester limits and increase access to student funding under the basic grant, it will help improve education outcome for Indigenous students. These commitments should be made in the same spirit as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action number 10 which highlights the need to:

Provide sufficient funding to close identified educational achievement gaps within one generation;

Improve education attainment levels and success...

Yes, Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories make a public commitment -- okay.