Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I’d like to follow up on my statement. In my statement I referenced a review of the Junior Kindergarten Program that was to have been completed in July of this year. There’s been no indication that that report is anywhere near completion.
I would first of all like to ask the Minister if he could provide an update to me and to the House with an update on the review of the Junior Kindergarten Program and when we might expect to see it. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It was agreed upon in this House in October 2014 where GNWT Members agreed to put the JK rollout on hold until such a review was undertaken, which is before us now, and that it will be brought back to the 18th Assembly. So that’s what we’re doing. We’re at the final stages of the review and it will be brought forward to the 18th Assembly government. Mahsi.
In October of ’14, we were advised that the report would be completed in July of 2015, which gave the current 17th Assembly Members, particularly the Standing Committee on Social Programs, an opportunity to review that report.
I’d like to ask the Minister, when was it decided that this would be punted to the 18th Assembly? This is news to me. I had fully expected to see this report before the end of this Assembly. Thank you.
Mahsi. The decision that was made in October 2014 by this government and also Assembly Members that we were going to put on hold the JK programming rollout until such a comprehensive review was undertaken, which, again, is happening now. At that time the decision was made that the comprehensive review will be undertaken by the 18th Assembly government, which we are doing. We are at the final stages. Mahsi.
I’m laughing because it’s ridiculous that a report generated by the 17th Assembly has been delayed almost by three months now, such that anything that’s in that report is now being sent off to the next Assembly. In my mind it’s ludicrous. That’s why I’m laughing. I’m not quite sure where to go from here.
To the Minister: If this is being sent off to the 18th Assembly, what does he expect in terms of an impact on the Junior Kindergarten Program? Not the details, but when does he think there’s going to be any kind of an impact on the Junior Kindergarten Program? Obviously, not for the school year ’15-16, but is he expecting impacts in the school year ’16-17? Thank you.
Mahsi. The Member is asking for my opinion. That will be up to the 18th Assembly government. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I can’t go there. When this report comes out, I’d like to ask the Minister, if it’s going to go to the 18th Assembly, will it be made public? Will it be available to the teachers’ union, the NWTTA? Will it be available to Members of this House, or is it simply going to be a report that is going to sit in the department? Thank you.
The final report, we’re at the final stages of a comprehensive report that Members of this House, this government agreed to. We are preparing that for the 18th Assembly government.
I can’t speak for the 18th Assembly government. We are the 17th Assembly government. We’re doing our due diligence. We’re providing the document as a recommendation to the 18th Assembly government for them to decide. So if they decide it is going to be public information, by all means the 18th Assembly government will decide. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Inuvik, Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
