I appreciate that response. Mr. Speaker, my final question is: what does ENR do to promote opportunities like Tundra Science Camp or Aurora College environmental programs in remote communities in the NWT?
The Tundra Science Camp is available to all youth across the NWT, and it is actually promoted through our regional offices and local schools. Other youth ecology camps are also available for support, and it goes back to some of the funding I was speaking to in the youth core. I notice there are a few in here where, in the Deh Cho region, for example, they have an ecology camp that is funded through one of these programs. Through other regions, as well, they have ecology camps.
ENR will continue to support, with some of our other departments, these types of opportunities for our youth across the NWT, promoted through the schools. The schools know that the funding is available. As a Legislative Assembly, we have to ensure that we have funds that are earmarked for it, and that goes back to my comment before about having it as a line item in the budget, where we continue to support it every year.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Yesterday, I spoke of the territorial parks and the increase in visitor numbers to all of our parks in the NWT. Communities are interested in building upon that opportunity. Is the Minister aware of the Guardians program I discussed in my Member's statement earlier today and the Indigenous Leadership Initiative request for federal funding? Mahsi.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister of ITI, I am aware of it only because I used to be the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Laughter
I can't speak on behalf of the Minister of ENR, but I know the department is probably supportive of this program. Well, there is a new Minister. I would probably ask the Member that he is going to have to direct his questions to ENR on this program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, the Minister had stated in the House about the Deh Cho parks and its advances and its scope is for recreational and economic purposes, so I am trying to scope within my questions at least the possibility of trying to advance territorial parks so that communities could be involved with it. Therefore, I am asking those questions.
My second question is to the Minister of again, I don't think he answered my first question, but my second question: has the Department of ITI considered implementing the Guardians program in the Northwest Territories?
I am going to have to look into this matter with the department, but as I have said, when I was the Minister of ENR, this question was brought up. I believe that there have been some other people in the Northwest Territories, Aboriginal governments, and groups that are looking at how to implement this not just across the Northwest Territories but across Canada as a whole, I believe.
I did ask two questions. I wanted to ensure that the first question wasn't answered. The second part of the question that I asked was clearly not answered, too. My third question, again to the Minister: what would be required to launch the Guardians program as a pilot project in the Deh Cho?
Like anything, we would have to look at the costs of this, and we would have to probably engage with the federal government, what they could contribute toward this program. As I have said, Aboriginal governments in other jurisdictions across the country are looking at how they can possibly implement this. I believe the Member from Tu NedheWiilideh has brought this up before. It is a program that has been used in Australia, if I remember. We would have to follow up with what I have mentioned.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for his reply in terms of his interest in terms of the Guardians program and seeing it at least maybe having a glimpse of hope of seeing it realized in the Northwest Territories.
My final question: would the Minister commit to monitoring this issue and also write a letter of support and discuss it with other departments and Aboriginal organizations, how we might implement the Guardians program in the NWT? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will assure the Member that we will have a look at how we can access some of this stuff and look into it.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a number of the honourable Members on this side of the House have questions for the Minister of Education, continuing the line of questioning this week about the change of affairs at Aurora College. I, too, have questions.
A number of the discussions have been around streamlining program delivery so we can save costs and maximize benefits to students. My question then is: these costs that we are saving by cutting programs, are they being reinvested in the college in other program areas or in new infrastructure, or are we just cutting costs to reduce the contributions, which will help the government manage its debt? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The college always looks at the programs and evaluates programs. The programs that were brought forth in the reductions were a collaborative work between our departments, our department of ECE and Aurora College executive staff, to come up with these decisions that needed to be made. As I mentioned, when we are making those decisions, we want to make sure that we are getting the best bang for our dollar, that the investments that we are making, the dollars are being spent effectively and efficiently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe I was not clear enough. Are the dollars we are saving from identifying these efficiencies being reinvested into postsecondary education, with Aurora College or any of our other postsecondary partners, or back into SFA? Is any of this money going into postsecondary education, or are we just making cuts and the savings are going back into general revenue?
In terms of any savings that we are doing, we are always working with the Aurora College board of governors, as well as the executive, on the programs and services that they provide, and we support them. We continue to support them with the dollars that they need to run these programs. So, when we look at the budgets, it is about budget process, and we work with them very closely in moving forward on those.
So last budget, we supported them to the tune of around $33 million in direct contributions, and this year we are reducing that, we are supporting them $3 million less. That's what I am talking about. That $3 million in support, where is it going? Is it going back into postsecondary, either through the college or through other groups, or is it just being cut?
Those decisions are going to have to be made as we look at the strategic review that is currently under way. We are in an academic school year right now. As well, we continue to provide a lot of great programming through Student Financial Assistance to support our students going through the programs and services that Aurora College currently provides.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister has laid out his position on this, and what it really hinges on is that strategic plan. I again call on the Minister to table that at the earliest convenience and give a firm deadline to this House. It is of great interest to the public.
My final question, Mr. Speaker, the strategic plan seems to be predicated on the labour market analysis that ECE has done. In fact, they have moved their Aurora College operations or support into the labour division within the department. My question is: is this strategic plan that the government is assisting with, is it being refocused solely on a labour market position? Are we redesigning Aurora College for that labour market analysis, or are we allowing Aurora College the academic freedom to determine its own priorities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is one of the avenues. We also did a lot of stakeholder engagements with key stakeholders across the Northwest Territories to get their input in how do we look at redirecting the Aurora College program services. That is one of the avenues that we have used. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today in the House I asked some questions about a mandate letter from the government to the college. Will the Minister commit to this House that he will actually show us what this mandate letter was? We have seen other deputy ministers' mandate letters, but we haven't seen the Aurora College one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This was the first year that a Minister has given the board of governors a mandate letter to go out and do the work on behalf of residents of the Northwest Territories in working within the Aurora College system. We can get copies of the mandate letter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for his commitment on that. In regard to the social work program, we have heard about low enrolment in that. What has the government or the college done to find out why we are not having success? Has the government or the college actually done an assessment of it and found out why the students have not done that? I would like to ask the Minister if he can provide any information.
As I mentioned earlier, the college does review its programs, evaluates its programs. We also engage our students who have taken the program or who have left or haven't successfully completed the program and ask them those specific questions, what is working in the program, what hasn't. We will continue working with Aurora College to address the reviewing of any of their programs that they provide in the Northwest Territories. Yes, we do look at those programs.
I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess this leads to my next question. Will the college be willing to share with us over here the results of this study or this evaluation, so we can look at the programs, so we can make an informed decision?
I will be meeting with the board of governors. I will bring up the request on behalf of the president, and I will get back to the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his commitment. I have heard a lot of stuff about the social work program in the last couple of weeks here and leading up to it. In regard to the social work program, can the Minister confirm that, once a student finishes this program, they can be hired by the department as a social worker? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes. It is an accredited program. After they have finished the diploma program, we do work with the Department of Health to try to get these students into the department, and we also work on helping them support and finish their full degree so they have a better chance of getting a job within the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked a couple of questions on the Teacher Education Program, trying to get a feel for what the plan is moving forward with the elimination of this program. I want to ask the Minister if there is a plan to replace this program with something of that type of level of professionalism that is required. When you finish the Teacher Education Program you have opportunities to get decent-level jobs. I am wondering what will replace that? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to make it clear that both the social work program and the Teacher Education Program are being phased out. I mean, the students that are in both programs are still going to get the support that they need to complete the studies that they are currently in. The teachers are going to get the support they need so they can support the students for that success. We are still going to be waiting on that strategic plan coming out, but this was one program that was identified. When I mentioned earlier, are we getting the biggest bang for the investments that we are making in certain programs, that is something that we are looking at and something we are working with our board of governors and our senior staff at the Aurora College to identify those reductions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Is the Minister telling me that there will not be something to replace the Teacher Education Program?
No, I am not saying that. I am saying that we are going to have to wait until April when we are able to see that Aurora College strategic 10-year plan, working with the board of governors, our staff, as well as the senior management of Aurora College. Once we get that report, all that information will be shared with committee and Members.
One of the programs, obviously, that must have stood out as a program that was failing to meet its effectiveness would have been TEP, since it has been phased out. The phase-out period is going to be from now until 2020. I would like to ask the Minister if he could advise the House how many actual employees of Aurora College would be affected by that phase out?
I don't have the exact numbers right now. As I mentioned, I will be meeting with the board of governors this weekend. We will be looking at bringing some of these concerns forward. They are obviously listening this week very closely, and we can get the numbers for the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, junior kindergarten is going to be a grade like no other within our school system for several reasons. It has to do with the way that this program is funded. In the first case, the government has committed to providing inclusive schooling to help children who are falling behind within the school system, but this inclusive schooling funding is not extended to junior kindergarten. When is that going to change, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
