Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to a good education, there are many challenges youth and adults in small communities in the Northwest Territories have. An education, Mr. Speaker, we are told will provide opportunities to find good jobs for our students, a job suited to them and one that will give them satisfaction and a decent income. That’s why we support our young people to go to school.
An adult student in the Sahtu is facing the barrier challenges right now, Mr. Speaker. She has completed coursework at Grande Prairie College in Alberta to be a teacher assistant. In order to complete her program she must do a practicum, working as a teacher assistant in the school. This woman intends to complete her practicum in the Sahtu. After she made some inquiries and a request to the Sahtu Divisional Education Council, the council actually agreed to supervise her practicum. However, when the superintendent of the education council phoned Grande Prairie College, he discovered that the college would not accept a practicum placement that was offsite. This is a sad state of affairs, Mr. Speaker.
I’m sure this is not the first time nor will it be the last time problems regarding practicum in the Northwest Territories comes up. I think that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment should determine some way to address this situation. Perhaps it’s as simple as ECE discussing the situation with contacts at the Grande Prairie college and entering into an agreement on work experience placement that is satisfactory to both parties.
ECE finances students to attend post-secondary school and encourages them to return to the Northwest Territories to work. There should be some way that the department can advise students who are entering programs that require practicum of this potential issue. The department could provide a protocol for arranging for education, health and other education programs work experience in the GNWT where possible.
I understand that not all education training programs can be offered in the Northwest Territories but I hope that we can ensure that when possible, that students can get to practice their practicum in the Northwest Territories, that they earn and do it in their home community. I have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
