Thank you. Does the committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2024? Committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. I want to thank the Minister and your witnesses. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witness from the chamber.
Moving on. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Committee Report 9-20(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 8: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act. Committee, we have agreed to consider Committee Report 9-20(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 8: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Act. I will go to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development for any opening comments. I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development on June 12th, 2024. Throughout the committee's review, the committee received positive feedback from students on this proposed change to the student loan. The committee also heard caution from the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to make sure decisions were being made from an evidence-based perspective but ultimately informed the committee that the loan element increase would be something that the department could support. However, when the committee discussed the topic of Northwest Territories' students advancing themselves academically, the committee could not ignore the many aspects of the Northwest Territories' education system that needs to improve so that Northwest Territories' students from all regions and communities have every opportunity to fulfill their academic potential. In particular, our Indigenous students require and deserve dedicated unwavering support from the Government of the Northwest Territories.
The committee has made recommendations to ensure that support be provided by the Government of the Northwest Territories. Individuals may have additional comments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. I will now open the floor to general comments on Committee Report 9-20(1). Is there any questions from Members? Seeing no further comments, Member from Monfwi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories increase education funding to Indigenous communities and Indigenous students in the Northwest Territories to improve the education outcome of Indigenous students. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I would like to speak to the Motion 1.
The motion is in order. To the motion. MLA Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Chair. I support this motion because an increase in education funding for Indigenous students would have a huge impact on my community and Tlicho region and communities across the territory. The Standing Committee on Social Development has discussed how to improve education outcome for Indigenous students. During the 2020 review of early childhood to grade 12 education in the Northwest Territories, the Auditor General of Canada recommended the Department of Education, Culture and Employment identify what is required to provide equitable access to quality education for all students and take action and that this should include providing additional support for small schools. The Auditor General found that the department of education adjusted its funding to offset the higher cost of living for schools in remote communities and provide more administrative support to schools. This is good progress, but we must take further steps towards reconciliation by closing educational gaps for Indigenous students. We can do this by increasing the amount funding students in small communities can access. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member of Monfwi.
Yes, Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories make a public commitment -- okay.
My apologies to Member from Monfwi. Member from Range Lake was going to speak to the motion, then I'll come back to you. I'm going to go to the Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you very much to the mover of this motion and the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development. She's very passionate about this topic, and we spent a great deal of time at the standing committee talking about how we could incorporate these concerns into our report on Bill 8 when this issue of funding Indigenous communities and Indigenous students is relevant to every community in the Northwest Territories.
The school boards in Yellowknife, for example the English school boards, they have -- run a third of their funding comes from Jordan's Principle to support Indigenous students. And that's just scratching the surface of the actual need out there. So this is an important aspect of this work going forward to strengthen and support the education system and to correct the historic deficiencies in ensuring equal access to education and that has not been possible due to a colonial system. So I support this motion. I think it's important that we continue to advocate for Indigenous students regardless of community in the Northwest Territories and indeed in Canada as well. So I'm happy to support this motion, and I hope the Minister of education will support it as well and find a way to make more resources available to Indigenous students and Indigenous communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried.
---Carried
I'm going to go back to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, thank you, Mr. Chair. Motion 2, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories make a public commitment to guarantee continued reconciliation efforts in regards to education outcomes for Indigenous students such as the removal of semester limits and increase access to funding under the basic grant. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. I'm going to go back to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I support this motion because a public commitment to guarantee continued reconciliation efforts like the removal of semester limits and increase access to student funding under the basic grant, it will help improve education outcome for Indigenous students. These commitments should be made in the same spirit as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action number 10 which highlights the need to:
Provide sufficient funding to close identified educational achievement gaps within one generation;
Improve education attainment levels and success rates;
respect and honour treaty relationship.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? One abstention. Motion carried.
---Carried
Mr. Speaker, committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories study the disparity of educational outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and put forward a plan with solutions to ensure that our Indigenous students are not left behind. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. I'm going to go back to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I support this motion because it is clear that significant disparities exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students when it comes to educational outcomes at all levels in the education systems. We have seen this time and again through reports on outcomes, and we see it in our communities directly. The GNWT must study this problem properly. There's so many studies that exist regarding this already, and it's getting to be too much.
The Standing Committee on Social Development believes that students in small communities who show desire to pursue post-secondary education should have access to enrichment programs or streams to nourish their potential.
Committee also believes educational outcomes in the NWT cannot improve until access to therapeutic interventions such as speech therapy are properly funded by the government. Students must have security about financial assistance and feel assured that the progress made will continue, and the government will keep honouring treaties. These are key issues for Indigenous students.
Year after year, the gaps remain. It is time for the GNWT to find solutions to these problems so that our Indigenous -- I repeat, Indigenous -- students can also prosper and reach their full potential. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Three abstentions. Thank you, motion carried.
---Carried
Moving on, the motion is in order. To the motion. I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to Committee Report 9-20(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 8: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
---Carried
Thank you, committee. We have concluded consideration of Committee Report 9-20(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 8: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Act. I will ask the bill sponsor, the Member from Yellowknife Centre, to introduce the bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's my pleasure to introduce Bill 8 for consideration of the House. I have further comments, and I'll provide them at the time. Actually maybe I'll just provide them at this particular time and that way we'll keep the process moving a little faster.
First of all, I want to thank the committee for its hard and diligent work as well as, and particularly the chair Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, about her continued robust and relentless effort to ensure we raise Indigenous education standards for all, and I'm very, very appreciative and respectful the work.
I want to thank the Minister for acknowledging this important issue. It's -- it will help at least at minimum 20 students to change the narrative that we want to come back to bring enormous professional skills and so with her effort, this has helped -- this will help this process, and so I'm grateful for that.
I also would be remiss if I didn't note that she also brought this up in the previous Assembly, so she does deserve some credit and it should be acknowledged that this was an issue she raised, although I didn't know until later, but she deserves acknowledgement for raising this matter as well as the -- when she was a Member. I appreciate Mr. McNeely being the co-sponsor of the bill that, with his help, and working together has made a difference.
Mr. Chairman, just to wrap up but to grab it in a broader form, this definitely was a grassroots issue. I want to point out that a constituent of mine owes -- is owed the lion share of the credit which is James Thomas. He brought his family and himself, in particular brought this issue to me and saying that this would make a difference to students wanting to pursue further education. And, of course, it's hard to say no to education. And, you know, it's through his efforts and certainly passion that this was important. It certainly was on top of mind of his family that this would have a true and genuine impact on students, again pursuing further education, and this -- to put it in context, those who are pursuing things like Masters and PhDs, I mean, those are the people we want to come back and bring those specialized skills. It's hard to get them. So if we can train our own and bring them back, I mean that's -- we consider a success.
I last area I want to point out, Mr. Chairman, on this particular opportunity is 11 young people wrote in, and that's extraordinary. Even in my previous three terms, I've not seen that type of passion and interest in writing in. And you know, it's just a reminder that as I sidestep from your second and point out when the elections officer talks about wanting to change the age of elections to get young people interested in elections, you know, sure statistically that may be theoretically true, but the fact is that young people will engage with the fullness of robust interest and enthusiasm when the matter -- the issue matters to them. So the lesson being taken by that point is is this matter -- this issue really mattered to 11 people and, as a matter of fact, it's really hard to get any feedback or consultation on any bill most of the time but to get 11 people, who are younger, is extraordinary, and that milestone shouldn't go underlooked or over -- passed over or ignored. It was extraordinary. I had nothing to do with that. As a matter of fact, the only thing I had to do with it was saying that now's your chance when I spoke to Mr. Thomas, tell your friends. And they wrote in all on their own.
Mr. Chairman, again, I just want to thank the committee for its work. The recommendations provided by the committee, I do support as well, and I did vote in favour of each of them because they are important and I do believe that education is certainly the incredible gateway to opportunity, and it will help -- help in its own way raise people's standings and ensure that over the longer haul we have healthy stronger people. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. Does the Member -- would like to bring in witness into the chamber?
Agreed. Yes, I guess I'm it.
Thank you. Member, please take a seat -- oh, sorry. Member, please take a seat at the witness table.
Thank you. We will now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development, the committee that reviewed the bill, for any opening comments on Bill 8. I want to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, if our education outcome is improved in small communities, we would enjoy -- we would have -- our Indigenous students are going to -- that's the same -- that's what we want for our Indigenous students as well, if our education is improved in our small communities then they will have the same access and we will have a lot of our students in that field, in the doctorate, in a Master's program, you know, undergraduate degree. But in the meantime, I know what I'm doing here so -- okay, so I -- I'm going to get back to the report, yes.
Thank you.
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on June 12th, 2024, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review. The committee received written submissions from 11 students eagerly welcoming this bill as well as a student's oral submission at the committee's public hearing held on August 20, 2024.
On October 8, 2024, the standing committee held its clause-by-clause review of the bill with the bill's sponsor, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, where the committee passed a motion that Bill 8 was ready to proceed to Committee of the Whole.
I thank the committee for their efforts in reviewing this legislation. Individual Members may have additional comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 8. Any Members? I don't see any. Is the committee agreed that there are no further general comments? Can we proceed to clause-by-clause review of the bill?
Agreed.
Committee agreed, okay, thank you. Committee, we will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. Please turn to page 1 of the bill. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Agreed. Clause 1.
Agreed.
