Debates of February 28, 2024 (day 12)

Date
February
28
2024
Session
20th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
12
Speaker
Members Present
Hon. Caitlin Cleveland, Mr. Edjericon, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Jay MacDonald, Hon. Vince McKay, Mr. McNeely, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Mr. Nerysoo, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. Lesa Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Mrs. Yakeleya
Topics
Statements

Question 134-20(1): On-the-Land Education

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Firstly, so as we're rolling out the new BC curriculum, how is ontheland education being incorporated into this new curriculum? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the draft NWT adapted curriculum is streamlined, and it focuses on competency building more than content retention. So this actually ends up providing more opportunities for placebased learning, which in our northern communities translates into landbased learning. The adaption of the BC curriculum ensures that many explicit references to the BC curriculum to Indigenous ways of being and knowing are NWTspecific. So this curriculum adaption almost gives us more opportunities than working with the previous curriculum in order to ensure that there are landbased options in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that's good news. So how is ECE supporting educators and child care workers to gain the training and skills and confidence for them to be able to deliver ontheland education? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ECE provides a variety of professional development and training opportunities for educators across the Northwest Territories. So specifically JK to 12 school educators receive training on the Indigenous languages and education handbook and in both Dene Kede and Inuuqatigiit that guide Indigenizing education in the Northwest Territories. ECE also allocates funding directly to education bodies for resource development and community support, which includes professional development for language and cultural education training, including landbased training. In addition to that, there is the educational leadership program which is a mandatory requirement for sitting school principals across the Northwest Territories. And a component of this is also ontheland training facilitated by ECE staff, local knowledgeholders and languagekeepers as well. And ECE also provides funding to support delivery of professional learning opportunities to early learning educators working in licensed programs throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that was a very long list of things. I think specifically ontheland education was listed in there somewhere, but I'll have to look back through the transcripts. Does ECE have any funding available for schools or child care facilities to build basic infrastructure like wall tents or fire pits so that people have a place to go nearby to do ontheland education? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Really succinct answer, thank you. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that one I'd actually love to hear more about. If the Minister could just clarify what the title of this funding program is called or how we could direct people towards it, that would be appreciated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm too long, I'm too short; I just don't know. I'm happy to provide information.

School education bodies receive funding directly. People can also apply for separate funding. There is also funding available through Aurora College when they participate. They get funding directly from ECE to participate when they're doing their training for the early learning and child care certificate and diploma program. And so there's a multitude of different kind of avenues that funding comes from. But I am happy to provide more detailed information to the Member for sure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.