Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There are two parts to this within our educational system. First and foremost is the students-on-the-land program. I’ve given directive to the school boards to conduct on-the-land programs specifically. We provide money for that and it’s been very successful to date. So elders take students on the land, it’s all in their language and on the land, and in a classroom as well.
The other side of the coin is that educators themselves, through the access program, the TEP program, we’ve incorporated the cultural base, spirituality, as well, through the Behchoko Access TEP program and we’ve conducted one in the Beaufort-Delta, now on the Hay River Reserve and others are coming into the regions as well. So we are incorporating those important elements to this programming, whether it be for the students or whether it be for the teachers. Everybody should be fully aware of that. Mahsi.
Thank you. What plans does the department have for increasing the number of Aboriginal northern teachers, especially in the Deh Cho and South Slave regions? Mahsi.
Mahsi. Part of our goal is to produce as many language speakers becoming qualified teachers, whether it be in the Northwest Territories or from outside the Northwest Territories, because we have a lot of our people for the North attend southern post-secondary. We want them to come back. A lot of them do speak their language as well.
So those are some of the priorities that we have in Education, Culture and Employment, to produce those qualified people that can come back and teach the children in our school system the language. As you know, the various languages we’re losing, Gwich’in is a prime example. So we’re doing what we can to produce those teachers. That’s why we started this access program, the TIPP program into our communities, into our regions and we’re going to spread it out to all regions as best as we can. Mahsi.
Thank you, I’d like to thank the Minister for that. What plans does the department have for engaging parents, especially Aboriginal parents, in the education of our youth? Mahsi.
Mahsi. That’s an excellent question. That’s the same theme, a common theme that we’ve heard through the elders’ gathering, part of the Early Childhood Development Framework and through the stakeholders, as well, also through the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. How can we involve the parents, the grandparents? So now we’re developing plans towards that. Even through the Early Childhood Development Framework I work closely with Mr. Beaulieu, Health and Social Services, how can we engage those parents. So that’s a key factor in our discussions and the parents will be involved. In what capacity? Working probably with the teachers, working with the elders, working with the students and helping out, maybe tutoring, or any roles and responsibilities that are available. So we’re doing what we can as a department and we are working closely with the school boards to make that more of a priority for them as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I like the Minister’s response on some of the initiatives. Of course, the major initiatives are very progressive. My final question is: When will the department recognize that the NWT needs a university? Mahsi.
Mahsi. I kind of knew that was coming. This is an area that we’ve explored and we have extended our NUP lease agreement. Currently, we are discussing, between my department, PWS and also the Executive, how we can look at options at this level. We want to see a stand-alone campus. That’s part of our long-term goal, that is our objective and we need to work towards that. So the discussion is happening and we’re asking for our outside options, as well, how the private sector can play a key role. So those are discussions that we’re currently having. We can provide some of the updates to the Members as to where we’re at with our discussions. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and my question is simple. Does he support inclusive education and can he explain it? How and why?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I think there were three questions there. I can answer one of them. I do believe that we need to support our students in our school system. Mahsi.
Thank you. Maybe the Minister can enlighten us on his master plan why he reduced inclusive education money and how that’s benefitted the school boards and the students.
Mahsi. During the last budget debate we went through some challenges and had to work closely with the standing committee to make some changes. It wasn’t just my decision. The early childhood development was the forefront of our discussion. So we had to allocate money from within and we had to find the funds.
But I must remind the House that there is a comprehensive review that has been undertaken for inclusive schooling. So I’m looking forward to the input from engagements and the stakeholders. If we’re going to make changes, I need to stand before the standing committee, make a presentation and then, more than likely, it will be in the House here as well. So there will be more debates on that particular topic. Mahsi.
Thank you. If the Minister responsible for Education doesn’t want to be responsible for the inclusive education, maybe we should be asking him today who should be responsible for this and how has it improved the lives and education of students who need inclusive education money. Thank you.
Mahsi. Through our engagement and also visiting communities we’ve been hearing about inclusive schooling, how can we best address the special needs in our schools, how can we have a speech therapist and other professions in our schools, how can we provide support. So based on that, and we’re doing a comprehensive review, and that will address what the Member is alluding to. So I am looking forward to the outcome of the project itself, and it is comprehensive, it will take some time, but it will make some changes to our educational system. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister hasn’t explained how he’s improved education by reducing money rather than just saying there’s a review. It’s not normal to delete money just before a review. So maybe the Minister can explain his master plan as to how he plans to improve inclusive education by reducing their funds that are required. Thank you.
Mahsi. With any review, evaluation, comprehensive review, there are expected changes that will be coming. If there’s going to be an increase in cost, then that will be before standing committee. So I will be addressing through standing committee when the time comes. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to thank MLA Groenewegen for bringing up the recent awareness of carbon monoxide detectors. In fact, this is now the third time that I rise before this House on the issue of carbon monoxide detector awareness, and now is the second time that I rise about the findings of the Yukon Oil-Fired Appliance Working Group as a result of that tragedy, and this is my second time regarding specific concerns of the Arctic Energy Alliance.
There was an oral exchange yesterday between the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and MLA Groenewegen. I wish to dovetail on this topic. Admittedly, the Minister of MACA mentioned yesterday that all structures built from 2008 now have a CO detector due to national building codes. Can the Minister indicate which community regional office oversees the compliance, the review, the approval and the final inspection of installation of fuel-fired appliances, which would include pellet stoves especially in our non-commercial single-family dwellings and auxiliary buildings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fire marshal’s office would usually review the plan and they would all have to be code compliant as far as the actual inspection. If they are private dwellings built in communities, if they have a municipal enforcement officer, a building plans officer, I’m sure he would inspect them. In the case of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, all of our units are inspected by our projects people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister clarify one more time? He used the word “if.” By what means and how does the Department of MACA monitor the safe installation inspection of oil-fired, wood and pellet stoves in our communities?
Through our fire marshal’s office under the review of the building plans. Thank you.
The fact remains that I’m not sure if the Minister is truly answering the question that I’m trying to get to. There’s a basic premise for my questions. Who governs, inspects and validates the compliance of our NWT fire prevention regulations in our non-commercial, single-family dwellings and auxiliary buildings? Could the Minister indicate what his department is doing to make sure this sector of our market is complying to standards and are not just subject to request of adherence to specific guidelines? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We all know that the carbon monoxide issue is a big one the last little while and we are doing what we can to deal with it. The Housing Corporation, their part is to make sure all of our units, all 2,400 units have working CO detectors, and through the fire marshal’s office and the Fire Chief Association of the NWT, we’re creating a public awareness program to ensure that all our residents understand the importance of having carbon monoxide detectors. Again, through the fire marshal’s office, we would work with communities to make sure they are compliant with the new code. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the Minister’s reply, but when can we expect to see the department and Minister review the findings and recommendations from this Yukon tragedy and formally come up with a plan, a policy or a framework to protect all buildings, including residential buildings in all residences of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
We were working on a plan while this tragedy happened in the Yukon. Unfortunately, a tragedy like this brings the issue to the forefront, therefore, it gets a lot more publicity, but we didn’t wait until this report came out to do the work.
As I said, all 2,400 of our public housing units have working carbon monoxide detectors, so we’ve been proactive. We haven’t been reacting to the issues that happened in the Yukon and we will continue to be proactive on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to give the Minister of Education a bit of a break and address my questions to the Minister of Human Resources today. During Committee of the Whole consideration of the Department of Human Resources, Members were able to make comments and I was able to make some comments. I appreciated that, but one of the questions I asked during my comments kind of slipped through the cracks and I don’t think I got an answer from the Minister. I’d like to ask the Minister that question now. I’m not sure where the information came from, but I believe the Minister of Human Resources is conducting a number of policy reviews now and in the next fiscal year. I would like to ask the Minister if one of these reviews will include a review of the Affirmative Action Policy. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time, we’re not planning a thorough review of the Affirmative Action Policy. We were always looking for input, guidance and advice on how we can improve our policies and procedures in the best interest of our employees and, by default, the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
If the Minister is asking for advice, he will always get some from this side of the House and I would hope that every Minister over there would want to hear our advice. Following up on the Affirmative Action Policy, Mr. Speaker, and it’s not referenced in the policy but it is found within the Human Resources manual, which falls under the authority, pretty much, only of the Minister. There are a number of – two, actually – priority lists which list the priorities of the special groups we have within our government. So I’d like to know from the Minister, as part of the policy review, whether he intends or whether he will consider an evaluation of the priority lists in the Human Resources manual. Thank you.
At this time, that’s not something we’re planning, but if committee were to ask us to take a look at that, we’re always open to have discussions with committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to thank the Minister for that commitment. We will perhaps be back from committee once we’ve had a chance to discuss it.
The Minister, in his remarks over the last little while, has indicated a focus on persons with disability numbers and on numbers of Aboriginals in our GNWT workforce. We’ve heard the Minister provide us with numbers on recent successes. The numbers seem to be going up and that’s a good thing. But I’ve heard little, I’ve heard little said, I’ve heard little in the comments by the Minister about the number of women that we have in our workforce, particularly women managers. So I’d like to ask the Minister if he can advise – he might not have the info – the percentage of women managers out of all of our managers in our workforce. Thank you.
I don’t have that information at the tip of my fingers, but I will commit to getting that information for the Member and committee. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to seeing the information that he can provide. I don’t really have a question, but I’d simply like to point out that we do have an awful lot of women deputy ministers and I think that’s a good thing, so I’ll be really interested to seeing women versus men as managers. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. No question. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement this afternoon with questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I described the Finnish educational system now recognized, after 30 years of reform, as about the best in the world. It has some neat characteristics that really ring sympathetic bells with many of the Members, I think, because some of these things address the issues we still see as being needed to be addressed. I know the Minister has some of that too.
Will the Minister and his staff have a critical review of this system and consider what lessons could be learned and applied in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When I talk about the educational renewal, it does cover a broad sector of areas. There have been talks about educational reform, there have been talks about inclusive schooling, formal funding, small schools, the capital and so forth. So it would capture a lot of those areas, and once we hear from the general public, I will be before the standing committee. A lot of discussion will be taking place. Members alluding to specific areas can be part of the discussion as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister. So I appreciate that this will be a very broad review and, I’m assuming, the Minister replied with some interest in looking at the Finnish system.
Will the Minister report to the committee on the results of the review of the Finnish system and really work with us on a plan to adopt, fund and implement those aspects that we think are warranted?
