Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From my Member’s statement today: Mr. Speaker, given that currently there are eight students in the Nunakput community of Sachs Harbour that have, for various reasons, left high school and moved back to Sachs Harbour -- reasons such as nowhere to live, not enough moral support or resources -- will this government immediately commit the funds and resources available for one high school teacher in Sachs Harbour for the term of about two and a half months left in the school year so they can at least earn some credits for their high school diploma? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, regarding the high school students, as I stated in the House on numerous occasions, we want every student to succeed. We do provide funding to district education councils and the DEA that falls under them that deals with these matters. I have to respect their decision, as well as the boarding homes’ and so forth. But it would be under the direction of the Beaufort-Delta to make those decisions based on the funding that we provide to them. We’ll continue to work with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council as we move forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Since the Minister is the Minister of Education, can the Minister direct the Beaufort-Delta education board and give them the $70,000 or whatever amount is required? Can he give them the money and the funding to get a teacher in the community for the next two and a half months?
As I’ve indicated, we’ve already allocated funds for the operation this school year. I can’t, as a Minister, stand up and say, hire a teacher in the community. I have to respect their decision. We have empowered the board of education to make those types of important decisions, because they are the experts at the community level. They’re currently, I believe, dealing with this matter. I believe MLA Jacobson has already met with the board or will be meeting with the board. So this discussion is ongoing and we will continue to monitor that. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I met with one of the representatives from the education board in Inuvik. They told me that they would get back to me. I didn’t meet with the board, but they already got back to me via phone and said they cannot support this position because of the funding and the community of Sachs Harbour has the student/teacher ratio already and are not required to provide a teacher. But, Mr. Speaker, there are eight students here in a community that needs a teacher for two and a half months. Will this government commit spending the money to service these eight students? They’d do it for the South Slave. Why can’t they do it for Nunakput? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gets very complicated where we’ve allocated funds based on where the students are enrolled. So we do provide the funding. We do provide the service to those eight students the Member is referring to. It’s just a matter of choice that the students are back in the community. Again, the decision lies with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council to make that decision, and the district education authority. If they are exploring options of extending high schools, those are discussions that need to take place as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I need the Minister to commit the money I need for the eight students in the community of Sachs Harbour. Like I said earlier, he is the Minister. He could try to find the funding to make this possible. You have eight students here who are not getting an education. That’s not right. If he’s not going to do it today, I am going to come back for the next 20 days of sitting and I’ll ask him in his office. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We continue to work with each district education council on the enrolment issues and also having those students enrolled and also being successful in their programs. We continue to strive there. We continue to provide funding to them to make that a successful program in the communities. So, Mr. Speaker, I can commit today to continue to work with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council, what the status is of those eight students who have been identified here and what the board of education is going to do as we go forward. We can continue monitoring that and we can get back to the Member on that particular item. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
