Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the return to high school is not a very attractive option for many young adults, would the Minister consider changing the policy and legislation to offer student financial assistance to our young people who are doing upgrading in order to qualify for a post-secondary institution?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Our policy currently states that we do sponsor post-secondary students, students that are off to university or colleges, but I think the Member is alluding to upgrading. We need to be very careful on what we do here, because it would have a huge impact in the local district education authorities, and not only that, the divisional education council, because our funding is based on enrolment and provided to those organizations. If we start sponsoring students down south, there’s a number of students that are on a waiting list and we’re not just talking about one student. Just imagine the cost factor that would be taken out of the local education authorities for sponsoring students down south. So those are the areas of great concern to us and it has been stressed to us by board members as well. Mahsi.
The Minister talked about the grave issues and the cost factor and all that. I say to the Minister in terms of this government in terms of the factors of not supporting our children who need to have support for upgrading on some of their courses to get into a post-secondary institution, I think those factors certainly will outweigh the concerns that this government has.
I want to ask the Minister, in terms of support again for this type of issue, would the Minister be willing to sit down with the Sahtu stakeholders to look at an education symposium in the Sahtu to look at solutions, to look at ways that we can deal with this issue in the Sahtu? Thank you.
Mahsi. We are currently supporting those students that are willing to upgrade in the regions, Mr. Speaker. We have to support our students in our home communities. We can’t ship the students down south to get upgraded. Yes, we fully encourage students to go to college and university with the appropriate courses, and those courses are delivered here in the Northwest Territories. We continue to support those individuals that are willing to upgrade or get educated on our home turf in the Northwest Territories. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, but when we talk about the policies in place, we certainly work with all communities. If we need to change let’s say a policy to support those individuals, there’s going to be a lot of consultation that will take place likely. Certainly, I’d like to hear from the district education authorities, the divisional board of education. Those are the contributors that support the students as well. Mahsi.
For the record, this young gentleman that I’m talking about, the education did not contribute one cent to him being enrolled in a southern institution in Alberta. This individual paid for his education through washing dishes, attending Aurora College in the Sahtu region. This individual, when he found out that he was unable to enter into a post-secondary institution, it’s going to cost him $32,000 just to get in there, Mr. Speaker. Again, I ask the Minister of Education, is he willing to sit down with the Sahtu leadership, Sahtu stakeholders and look at engaging in a Sahtu educational symposium to find solutions on how we start improving and really get the real education into our region and into our communities and have a solid investment in our children? Would the Minister be willing to commit to an education symposium in the Sahtu?
Mahsi. If there is such an education symposium being conducted in the Sahtu region by Sahtu residents, then if there’s an invitation, I’m certainly willing to attend, but there are other sources of funding that those individual students can certainly access. There’s INAC funding, there’s upgrading funding that’s available, but this is an upgrading program that the Member is referring to, Mr. Speaker, not a college or university program. With our SFA program, we solely contribute towards post-secondary students. So, Mr. Speaker, those are the areas that we continue to focus on and I’m willing to meet with whoever is interested in advancing our students, how we can partner up and move forward. So certainly those are the areas that we continue to focus on, improving our student progress and we want every student to be successful, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The parents of the Sahtu also want every child of theirs who enters into our education system to be successful and come back and contribute to the people of the Northwest Territories and, more importantly, into the community. After all is said and done, Mr. Speaker, I have a 19-year-old man in Edmonton with a Grade 9 Alberta education who was prepared to go into a post-secondary institution. However, he needs help. It’s $32,000 he needs in terms of getting into a post-secondary institution. Again, I ask the Minister if he would work with me, work with this young man in terms of how can we offer assistance to this man. This man -- I’m very proud of him -- is determined to go into a post-secondary institution; however, he needs some financial support. Would the Minister be able to commit to working with me in how do we support this person?
Mahsi. We are willing to support the students that are entering college or university, but if they’re at, say, a Grade 9 level, then there’s an education factor in the Northwest Territories. They are more than willing to assist these students enter into our school system. We have beautiful schools in the regions, we have a new school in Tulita. Those are the areas that we continue to improve on. So we continue to strive for that, Mr. Speaker. We have to make clear that the SFA funding is specifically for post-secondary college or university students, but I’m willing to work with the Member on a going forward basis if they could assist the student to get at least into the college area. By all means, SFA money will kick in from there. Mahsi.
