Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today was on the housing situation and the high school dropouts in my communities that I represent in Nunakput. Given the current way the government provides high school to students from the small communities and it’s so problematic that many students all together leave high school and go back to their home communities, will this government immediately commit funds and resources for one high school teacher per community so that the students can at least get high school courses in the community and not fall so far behind?
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We do provide funding to the district education council which flows down to the district education authority. They decide which staff they’re going to be hiring. I’m not in a position to say you should hire these positions. We gave them the authority to do that. We empowered the DEA to make those decisions, the DECs. I have to respect their decision. If there are issues or concerns that the Member is raising that information should be shared with the DEA and DECs, I will do my part as ECE to share the Member’s concern with the local school board.
Mr. Speaker, will this government conduct a thorough review to identify why so many high school students from small, isolated communities are dropping out of school? Mr. Speaker, we know the reasons already. It’s not worth going and getting another review done. This government is failing the education system in the small, isolated communities. Kids are staying home and not going to school.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister send a Minister’s directive and tell the DEAs in the Beaufort-Delta region to work with the community of Sachs Harbour to get something done on this issue? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we do have boards that represent those small communities. I also meet with the chairpersons that are responsible for each region. That information is brought to our attention and we work together collaboratively. At the same time, there is the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that’s underway and we will be going to the Beaufort-Delta. Those issues have been addressed in other regions, as well, similar to what the Member is raising.
It is clearly our discussion around the table on numerous occasions already, Mr. Speaker, since we started in September. At the end of the day, we will have a package. The plan of action will include that and I’m sure what the Member is referring to will be addressed in that format. Mahsi.
It’s one thing of being addressed and one thing about getting something done. Mr. Speaker, we’re failing the students of Nunakput. Not only Nunakput, all small communities. Will this government allocate appropriate resources to address the serious problems regarding the high school dropouts to ensure that quarterly reviews and benchmarks are carefully monitored for the future on this issue, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, that is the very reason why we’re doing this initiative. Concern was raised by the parents, the community members, the leadership, the educators in the communities, all communities of the Northwest Territories. That’s when the Aboriginal student achievement has been undertaken. That’s been identified where the students’ attendance is an issue and the quality of education has been brought to our attention as well. There is a strategy that’s been developed through the action oriented coming from the people of the Northwest Territories. It’s not my department saying this is good for you; it’s the voice of the North. We will be tabling the document in this House, as well, with an action plan.
Similar to what we had done with the Languages Strategy, Mr. Speaker, I think this is an opportunity for the Beaufort-Delta to provide us with the ideas and suggestions on these matters as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Well, Mr. Speaker, I’ve been here for three years and I’ve been trying to provide that information. Mr. Speaker, if we have a house in the community of Inuvik that is able to take students from the small, isolated communities and put them in a safe house to have a safe place to stay where they could do their studying and stuff to get their education in Inuvik, will the Minister commit to putting resources and dollars behind that unit in Inuvik? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, again, the funding does flow through the school boards. What the Member is referring to, we will talk about that as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment with the school boards and with the ASA, the forum. That’s an ongoing discussion that we’re having. We need to find a solution. We can say throw money at these different schools and different areas. We need to find out where we need to focus our priorities. I understand where the Member is coming from, so I will follow through with that with our ASA and the school boards as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
