Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the last couple of weeks, we have been asking questions of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about the proposed cuts to the education and social work programs. Today I will be asking some questions on behalf of the students of the education program. Mr. Speaker, when looking at the cuts, can the Minister advise this House: did the college consider looking at reducing administration costs first to save some program funding? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, that was considered, the administration costs. A review of the college's operations deemed several support positions nonessential, and any remaining duties of those positions will be reassigned to other staff. To meet the target reduction, there were three administrative positions that were affected. With this reduction, Aurora College will be required to be innovative and become more efficient and effective in their administrative process moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, when looking at these cuts, can the Minister advise this House: did the college consult with the students on ways to improve the program and save it, or did they just go out and make these cuts without consulting the students?
No, the students were not consulted about reductions moving forward. It was the Department of Education, Culture and Employment that was working closely with Aurora College to identify where reductions could be coming from. Evidencebased decisions on low graduation rates within these two programs were identified. Sometimes tough decisions need to be made, and those were the decisions that were brought forth to this government.
I just want to let Members know that Aurora College is continuing to support the students in these two programs to completion, working with them, supporting them to make sure that all the students in both programs do graduate to completion over the course of the years.
I thank the Minister for his answer. However, I would like to inform the Minister that the access program students, they are not accounted for, to graduate in the North, and that is a challenge. Mr. Speaker, with the majority of the TEP and social work students tending to be young parents, did the college or the department consider the effects of making them uproot their families and lose some of their family support system here to attend school in the South?
The Member did bring up the access students. The Aurora College staff has worked with the access students to look at the next steps for them in their career path, so they are working on that side of things. As I mentioned, we still continue to support families and students wherever they want to get their postsecondary education. As I mentioned earlier, we spent $12 million in Student Financial Assistance, and that affects over 1,200 students who are getting postsecondary education at this moment. Any families that have dependents, there is an increase in the Student Financial Assistance that they receive, as well.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I thank the Minister for his answer. Dependents are one thing. Family support is another, and that is the biggest challenge for us people living in the North. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that, in the fall of 2015, the Aurora College Board of Governors signed an Indigenous Knowledge Declaration. Mr. Speaker, some of the students are not sure that the college was sincere when they signed this document. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain how cutting this program helps Indigenous people share their knowledge among their peers if they are attending a southern program where people may not recognize, respect, or share the same process? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, Aurora College and the Department of ECE take that declaration very seriously, including the respect for and importance of Indigenous knowledge. Aurora College will continue to seek new ways to incorporate Indigenous knowledge, world views, and approaches in all of its programs. All Aurora College programs serve Indigenous learners, not only in social work or the TEP program but through all the programs that it does serve. As well, the department has done a lot of work around residential schooling as well as cultural training for our Northerners but also for southern workers who come up and work in the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
