Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi. We’re very excited about this fibre optic link that’s before us, and we’re hoping that 2014-2015, well, 2014 I guess, the deliverance of the optic. When we met with the Beaufort-Delta on the e-learning, there’s excitement in the air. We’re delivering programs that are not being delivered in small communities as opposed to larger centres. Not only that, but at the same time delivering language apps into the schools and language programming where we have an elder on another screen who can work closely with the students.
There’s so many ways that we can take advantage of the e-learning, the fibre optic link that’s before us. We are getting ready. We know it’s approximately a year and a half, two years from now. My department is working very closely with the school boards on what kind of programs can be delivered now, and we talk about various tools that kids and children play with, whether it be on-line programming, gaming, what kind of educational gaming and so forth.
So those are just some of the areas that my department is working closely on. I can get my deputy to maybe elaborate a bit more, just involving the school boards and potential programs that will be available. Mahsi.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Ms. Eggenhofer.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the Minister said, the e-learning orientation that we were allowed to be part of was very exciting, and we’ve had dialogue with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council already on how we can expand the project into other school boards. We’re looking at that, as the Minister said, for both the Aboriginal languages as well as for general school operations and orientations with teachers. I think the possibilities are endless, and as part of the education renewal we’re taking a look at that.
Thank you, Ms. Eggenhofer. Moving on with questions on this page I have Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a question on the Aboriginal language and culture-based education. I know we have, I think, a couple of programs where we produce teachers or teacher equivalents in languages and culture such as the ALCIP program. What certificates or diplomas are available, and how many graduates do we have in this fiscal year?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi. There is a certification diploma in Aboriginal Language Instruction and Coordinator Program. We’ve had real success in the Beaufort-Delta. Just last year we had, I can’t remember exactly the numbers, but I think up to 12, I believe. I could be wrong. But we had a good number of graduates, and we’ll want to utilize them in various fields as we possibly can or even encourage them to pursue even higher education.
I don’t have the actual number for this fiscal year. The graduates are coming through the system. So we can provide that kind of detailed information once we have that from the college to the Members. Again, it has been very positive to date, and we want to deliver that in other regions as well. The college delivers it, and we are also delivering it to the regions too.
So I just got the information from my director that in 2012-13 there’s ALCIP, Inuvik TEP, and South Slave ALCIP program. Ten students are enrolled in year two of the TEP in Inuvik, and five students are enrolled in year two of ALCIP at the K’atlodeeche First Nation. That’s just some of the highlights. I can provide more detail to the Members. Mahsi.
Thank you. At one point it took a number of years to actually complete the program. Is the ALCIP program down to a two-year program now? Thank you.
Mahsi. There have been some modules that individuals had to take in the past. It was a part of the certification program. Now we are delivering a diploma program, and if the student is enrolled full-time, then they should be able to complete the program in two years. Again, we’re working closely with the college on this.
There are certification students that are part-time students. Even the diploma program, some are part-time, some are full-time. So it does fluctuate in how long they take on the program, but we’ll provide the Members with the information from the college. Mahsi.
Thanks to the Minister for those comments. I guess I would be interested to know that we are offering the courses in a way that it is possible for those that wish it to complete the certification or the diploma programs in a fairly efficient amount of time. So I will appreciate that update.
My last question on this page has to do with controllable assets. I notice under details of other expenses there’s been a substantial change in that amount over the last couple of fiscal years. I wonder if I could have a brief explanation of what we’re talking about here and why the dramatically declining numbers on that line item. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. For that we’ll go to Mr. Devitt.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe, if I heard correctly, it’s controllable assets that the Member referred to. The difference is, for the reduction this year, was the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage repairs were budgeted in 2012-13 are no longer needed because it was a one-time cost.
Thank s to Mr. Devitt. Just for my own learning here, I think it might have been a couple of million or something like that a couple of years ago, half a million, and now down to $20,000. How do we define things as controllable asset versus infrastructure expenditures? Because this clearly seems like an infrastructure expenditure to me, but somehow it’s being designated a controllable asset. How do we know what’s what? Thank you.
I guess hopefully a simple explanation would be that when you’re doing repairs, if it’s not extending the life of the asset, then it’s considered O and M as opposed to capital. Thank you.
That was very concise and clear. That’s all I had, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Page 10-17, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, education and culture, operations expenditure summary, $198.772 million. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just one question here. Mr. Bromley brought my eyes to the line that says other. I complained bitterly in the 16th that we had amounts in other that weren’t explained anywhere, and I just wondered. I thought we’d gotten rid of all of those. I’d like to know from the department what the $258,000 under other is for and why we don’t have an explanation for it on this page.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Devitt.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The other here, I think, would be probably furnishings. It could also be chargeback expenses, but I believe it’s probably furnishing for the Aboriginal Languages Secretariat. There may be other expenses in there. I don’t have all the detail.
Following up with that answer, then, are there things in the other category which couldn’t also be posted, for instance, under materials and supplies? I would think that’s where furnishings would go. If it’s TSC chargebacks, then one would think they would go there. That’s actually another question. How come there’s no chargebacks for TSC from the department? I would just ask that the department eliminate other in the next year’s budget.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I do remember the Member raising that issue, and we will do it for next year. I’m kind of surprised that it was still here too. We’ll make that work.
I guess I should ask why there’s no TSC chargebacks.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Devitt.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was naming off some of the items that might be charged other, but in this case I believe it would be furnishings. The chargeback expenses are in the directorate.
Okay. I guess I would suggest then, does that line really need to be there, because it’s very confusing. Thank you. That’s all.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. We’ll take that as a comment. Page 10-17, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, education and culture, operations expenditure summary, $198.772 million.
Agreed.
Pages 10-18 to 10-20, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, education and culture, grants and contributions; grants, total grants, $52,000, contributions, total contributions, $168.801 million, total grants and contributions, $168.853 million. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have to go back to my issue with heritage and projects. Maybe it’s just the way that it’s written, but if I look on page 10-20, the NWT Arts Council gives contributions to artists and cultural groups – okay, that might include heritage – but then it goes on to say to encourage creative artistic projects in visual literary performing and new media arts in the NWT. I would think that a heritage organization is not likely to want to do a creative artistic project.
I again would have to stress to the Minister that I don’t see much opportunity in here for a heritage organization like, say, the Norman Wells Heritage Society. They get funding for their building, yes, but do they get funding for outreach, for education purposes, for other programs that they might do? I don’t really see that there’s much in here. If it’s included – there’s cultural organizations on page 10-19 for $554,000 – if it’s included in there, then okay, fine. But I really don’t see where the word heritage is relative, is specifically related to programming on these three pages.
If I could maybe get a bit more explanation as to if the wording is incorrect and the word heritage needs to be added, or if there just isn’t money for heritage programming.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. Some of the areas that we talk about, the heritage centre, $491,000, the cultural projects, preserving, identity enhancement, traditional cultures, and contribution to administration and operations, those are just some areas that will capture it. I understand where the Member is coming from with the arts council. New Northern Arts Program does capture to some degree northern film, part of the heritage.
I do take the Member’s comments into consideration, and we can definitely, well, we do have some highlights of what kind of organizations we currently sponsor. Based on that, we can identify if it’s part of the covering of heritage aspect. Duly noted. We can provide detailed information if that is the wish of the Members as well.
Just to comment, I appreciate that the Minister understands where I’m coming from. But if he’s looking for sort of what the groups are looking for, I would reference him to the letter which came on the Mine Heritage Society letterhead, signed by seven or nine, I think, different heritage groups within the NWT. There were a couple of requests in there which, if he’s looking for inspiration, could provide some. I’m not looking for further information than what’s here. That’s all.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Moving on with questions here, I have Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I did want to follow up on top of page 10-19, the large item there, education authority contributions. I’d like to just find out where we’re at with the TSC chargeback. We have learned that we are starting to bring our health authorities into the fold with TSC. The common comment from the Auditor General is that departments aren’t necessarily providing the standards and leadership that they could be for our authorities.
This is one area I think that could be very helpful, is if we’re all using the same system. So communications, and I think we’re working on the financial end of things, could be standardized. I’m not aware of any of the authorities planning to convert to our system as some of the health authorities are, but is there a plan? Is the department thinking about this? Where are we at on that front?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Lafferty.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is an area that we have been discussing interdepartmentally. There is the TSC chargeback, I believe, in every department. Our Department of Education, Culture and Employment, I believe we’re one of the biggest users along with Health and Social Services because of our videos and linkage.
We’ve been exploring different options on how we can get away from that specific area where our Internet accessibility is quite large and part of the GNWT system. This whole fibre optic link and also the e-learning is a small piece of it, but that is an area that we have been exploring. I believe my director has been involved with the chargeback itself, and maybe he can provide the detailed breakdown.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Devitt.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The education authorities are on the government network. They separated their traffic to improve service, or at least the TSC has separated traffic. We do work very closely with the TSC in this area, if that’s what the Member was referring. I hope that answers his question.
Thank you, Mr. Devitt. Mr. Bromley.
That’s news to me. I didn’t hear that discussed earlier when it was up. I appreciate that information. As I understand it, our education authorities do use our TSC programming but it’s done in a separate way. But they are integrated across authorities, so we just provide funding to them. Do they get chargebacks on their own? Would it show up in their budget, TSC chargebacks?
The network charges are budgeted in the directorate for the department and the network for the education authorities. I should point out that the education authorities are not on the government e-mail system and they don’t receive the same technical support, but they are on the government network.
Who does their technical work then? Do they hire their own? How does that work?
For networking within the schools, they would either use their own staff or contract for that. TSC would take the network to the schools.
I think I’m understanding the system now. I don’t have the expertise to criticize or critique it. I guess I would ask if that is the most efficient, having TSC look after our GNWT throughout our communities, and now slowly adding all the health authorities, but having our education authorities contract their own separate maintenance system. Is there an opportunity for an efficiency there, or is that something the Minister would look at?
We did look at the system a couple of years ago. We did a study, and it did recommend some changes that we’ll be implementing in terms of standards. We’ll also, I’m sure, be looking at this and other areas as part of the renewal project.
That’s good to know. Maybe that’s something the department could share with committee at some point just to see what those reports said. I’m glad efficiencies have been found and worked on. I guess I would just ask the Minister to be sure and include that, then, in the education renewal. That’s all I had.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I think we have a commitment from the Minister on that, so we’ll take that as a yes then. Moving on with questions I have Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a really quick question here on page 10-19 with the Healthy Children Initiative with the contributions to communities in the amount of $2.1 million. What type of integrated early intervention services is being offered? Can the Minister elaborate on these services and if it’s being offered to all 33 communities or not?
