Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So I was made aware that it was one of the things that they were considering in a huge spectrum of options in December. I asked the department to immediately sit down and ensure that they understood all of the ramifications of that. Because very clearly, as we're speaking about an MOU, there is not an ability of Aurora College to realize all of the dollars from that -- from that choice and wanted to ensure that they were going into this eyes wide open and wanted to make sure that the board as well had all of the information. By at that point, the board had not voted and so certainly, I'm not in a position to, you know, go public or create options based on something that is in an options paper and hasn't been voted on or a decision made. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member for Range Lake.
Thank you. No, that's fine, and I think that's a reasonable expectation. The Minister can't plan for -- I mean, there could be contingencies, but until you don't know what you know. And I think, again, the board could have been -- well, should, most likely, have been a bit less arm's length than this one and at least given a head's up so we weren't dealing with the mess we're in now. This is a very significant issue, and it's a significant issue in the vast majority of our communities where education outcomes are extremely poor, and there's a very real need for adult education.
We have an upcoming meeting scheduled with the Minister with the Aurora College board chair and president to discuss this. That meeting is going to be in-camera. How can we expect our constituents to understand these decisions in a secret meeting? Like, what are we going to do to actually let people in on what the reasons were for this? Because we're going to know, we privileged few who sit here. But how are we going to let other people understand that, because this is a very significant issue that people are very concerned about. Thank you.
Thank you. Just for your information, the meeting will be public, so. But I can refer to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm always happy to do as much as we possibly can in public, and I would hope that committee would be willing to do this meeting in public. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go back to the Member for Range Lake.
Okay, thank you. That's the expectation. I'm glad we cleared that up for the record. And anyone watching, it will be broadcast. You're welcome to tune in. Yeah, millions of subscribers. Millions of subscribers.
So I guess fundamentally as well is the process for the Aurora College budgeting as well, even though they're at arm's length, does it work similar to other -- like, the health authority, for example, where the total contributions, so the $35 million we provide to Aurora College, that's on the books, but they then submit a budget, the Minister reviews it and approves it to make sure it conforms to the mandate. Is that a -- is it a similar process for Aurora College's budget as well currently? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it's not a situation where I'm going through their budget line by line with them. They have base funding that they get through this process here. If, for example, if they have a need for forced growth -- a great example of that that I believe is in this is their -- it, sorry, it is in this, is the forced growth for their lease payments and such. That's something that would come through the financial management board. It would go through our normal vetting processes with that. But line by line, they're not going through the budget with me, and I don't have eyes on what the exact breakdown of this would be in the arm's length relationship. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member for Range Lake.
Thank you. So, I mean, is this an arm's length academic institution or agency? Because, you know, they -- it would be one thing if you exceeded your grant and required more public -- a public grant to expand it or increase it or enter into temporary funding but what -- so when the Minister says goes to the FMB, is it, like are they providing a specific financial request? Like, hey, we need this amount of money to run this program, much like you would if you were providing a third party contribution to a municipal government, for example, or an Indigenous government, or is it the financial process the same as any other public agency or department? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much. So they do submit an operating budget annually. They -- for example, if they need new funding above and beyond where they're at for new programming, like, for example, we've talked about, you know, the Indigenous languages diploma, new funding would have to go through the FMB process within the GNWT. And I'll stop there, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member for Range Lake.
Thank you. I mean, certainly, there's a lot to talk about with Aurora College but, like, that's not -- it's not an arm's length academic institution as I understand it. It's one thing to fund the college to do a program like an Indigenous languages certificate but it still feels very much like it's always been run. And I think that's my fundamental concern. They still don't have a foundation put in place to do fundraising. We still don't have daylight on a North Slave campus plan, which is a campus that has plenty of students, in excess of staff, which is not the case with every campus Aurora College operates and -- you know, and a whole host of other issues. And I know -- I think the board is trying to hustle and get things under control, but it seems like they're doing it without letting everyone else in. This is an area of extreme interest. We'll have this discussion at standing committee. But I mean, we need to do better with Aurora College fundamentally. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Next I have Member -- okay, yeah, Minister, you can respond. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, to respond to the Member's question, it is still a public agency under the Financial Administration Act. And so they still, even at this point, can accept their own federal funding. They can accept their own funding even at this point right now today from other third party organizations as well.
It's also worth noting that certainly the college's legislatively is at a bit of an interim phase here. So there was the launch of the Aurora College's Act in the previous Assembly. And work that is still to be done in this Assembly are items like the funding formula for Aurora College and which would determine how they will be funded going forward as the Member kind of alluded to there. And there's also the Polytechnic University Act that needs to be done so that they really do fully transition to that arm's length in full scope of the word as the Member's referring to so that they are aren't tied, for example, to our Financial Administration Act. But I will say as well within the Aurora College's Act, there is still a noninterference with operational aspects of the college. And so even if I was afforded, you know, the ability to sit down and go through line by line, I couldn't say to them I don't like this line item, take it out, because they'd turn around and say to me well, you're overstepping, you're in our sandbox and you need to step back out, please, Minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Next, I have Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. This brings me to the question of concerns of policy and what type of oversight is provided. The circumstances I'll sort of framework is that I'll start with the beginning is does the department have any policy or influence on the school boards and authorities to be -- I guess I'm trying to say it -- nonpartisan in their political intervention in education? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
I'm wondering if the Minister could be -- pardon me, if the Member can be more specific or direct about what they would like to get to here. Thank you.
Member for YK Centre, can you be more specific in your question. Thank you.
So when I -- a student in a school is shamed for liking Trump -- and I'm not here to speak for the individual, of Trump, that is -- but where I worry that the parent has to deal with children who have just been shamed on that or the school, be it the school, the teachers, etcetera. As an example -- if you want an example, this is a real one -- what policies do we have on that that if teachers are providing their individual personal opinions and hence that's trickled down in shaming individual students?
Now, I want to be absolutely clear, Madam Chair, in no way would I be defending that orange guy. Don't misunderstand. I have no like for that man at all, but I respect he's been elected. The reality is is that my concern is what type of oversight is provided by the department, such as guidance or policy, that if people in a free and democratic society like one person or the other, that they shouldn't be shamed and humiliated in classes or feel the pressure of bullying in the schools because they choose something different than, say, we would choose. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it is very helpful so thank you to the Member for being specific about what they're looking for. And so we do, in the Northwest Territories, have safe schools regulations. It is the responsibility of all schools across the territory to ensure that they are providing safe, equitable, and an inclusive schooling environment to their students. And, of course, safety takes many different shapes and forms for different students across the territory. And education bodies are required to hold staff accountable for how they behave in that regard, and ECE, of course, would support education bodies to meet the requirements of the safe schools regulations.
And so each school board is responsible for having a safe schools plan and ensuring that at the end of the day students are safe. And so that can take on the form, for example, of ensuring that they're providing training so that they're continuously building educator capacity to ensure at the end of the day the physical, mental, and psychological safety of our students. Thank you.
Members, I want to remind you that just please speak specifically to what we're dealing with in the House here. We have no say in what goes on outside in the United States. That stays there. We're speaking about what happens here. Thank you.
Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And by no means am I getting into the geopolitical experience or wave down there, and that wasn't the intention of the specific line. But my concern is about young people exercising their opinion and how what oversight or abilities does the department see or have to address these types of issues.
I am aware of another parent bringing forward an issue that the individual teachers bring up on the screen in the classroom, how to complain about civic politicians where they're -- the teachers are exercising their personal opinions and encouraging students to focus their complaints and, in other words, walking them through the complaint process, how to file. How does -- what policy or what process can ECE do to ensure that young minds aren't molded based on the individual perceptions or perspectives of those people guiding those fresh moldable minds? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, Madam Chair, I would hope that at the end of the day all adults, including all of us, are being respectful of one another. But I would also love for teachers to share with my kids how to exercise their civic responsibilities and civic duties and get them involved in politics and that -- you know, politics is everything from do you think you should be allowed to wear a ball cap in a classroom. And so I think that at the end of the day making sure that while teachers aren't indoctrinating kids that we absolutely are ensuring that our kids are developing critical thinking skills. And I receive letters in my role as both MLA and Minister from youth, and I applaud teachers who do that work with their students, and I applaud the parents who at the door say, hold on, I got to get my kid, and they bring a 12-year-old to come and ask me questions. And I think that -- I think that's good parenting. So thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Just to be clear, so the Minister's saying it's okay, from her perspective, that a teacher would pull up online and say well, the news reads today X, Y, Z, and, you know, I think this is, you know, a perspective, let's talk about it, which is fine. I think current affairs is important even if you agree or disagree. And then coaching students how to file formal complaints in this class of young people. And so the Minister's thinking that that's okay? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, that was not my words. I literally said it is not the role of teachers to indoctrinate children. I also, though, did say that I think it is very good and very important if our kids are learning about politics in the classroom and they are learning about critical thinking and they are learning to stand up for themselves. I think that a teacher needs to be fair in how they do that, but I would be more than happy to share any of my other perspectives about parenting with the Member after we're done this today. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member for Yellowknife Centre.
No, I'm not interested in your parenting -- I have two of my own, and I'm not here to tell you how to manage your kids and I would prefer we don't do that.
So, Madam Chair, the issue is, then -- I think the Minister may have her finger on the issue which is the indoctrination of perspectives and keeping things fair. So what oversight, policy, direction, can be provided to the school boards that can help trickle down through the education system to ensure that they're receiving a balance of perspectives? And sometimes we're going to hear things you don't want to hear, sometimes you're going to hear things you want to hear. And that's okay in the growing minds of people to hear and learn about different perspectives, and I think that's a fantastic -- the principle really comes down to as not being pressured or coached in any way, and I would think that that would be up to the individual and, of course, them being young people, hopefully they'll have good communication with the parents, if that's possible. I can't speak that it is. So the indoctrine issue is exactly the issue I have, ensuring that young minds aren't pressured, and I'm asking how that is communicated to school boards, authorities, etcetera, to ensure that we have the fair and balance opportunity without feeling any shame or pressure. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, the Education Act was amended in 2013 to include a definition of bullying, establish safe school regulations, which include the territorial school code of conduct and a requirement that education bodies ensure the development of safe school plans. It is worth adding in here that in 2022-2023 school year, a safe and caring school subcommittee was established under the authority of the deputy minister of Education, Culture And Employment, and ECE meets with representatives from education bodies annually to discuss implementation of the safe school regulations. If there is an incident in a school that a parent is uncomfortable with, I certainly encourage them to speak with their student and the teacher. I have found that most teachers are -- well, every teacher I have come across is more than happy to have conversations. If a parent finds that there is an instance that where something can't be resolved with the teacher, I do recommend then that they approach the principal. Certainly, if it needs to be escalated beyond that, bringing it to the superintendent is the next course of action there. And, of course, all school boards do have the ability to implement policies within their own school boards underneath these requirements here as well. And so certainly encourage parents to not shy away from following up on stuff like this. And while I do, for example, and have said here that I get excited about the opportunity for our students to find their own voices and our youth to find their own voices -- we heard about that on the floor of the House today during Members' statements where Members and Ministers were able to join youth and hear their voices, and I think that is incredibly important. But certainly, we want to ensure that those interactions are respectful and that at the end of the day that students are given the opportunity and empowered to make their own decisions at the end of the day. Thank you.
Thank you. Next, I will go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I know that in many of the small communities, we have a lot of good support staff, we have a lot of good teachers, we have a lot of good schools. I don't want to discredit by saying that, you know, because our education is no good or, you know, like I heard that quite a few times, but we know that a lot of work is being done by the school staff. I've seen it myself by the support staff. They're making every effort for the student to succeed, to focus on the outcome. But there is a problem. There's one -- well, there's a lot of problems but, you know, one of the problem is that we know there's a lot of social issues in small communities with drugs, alcohol. You know, there's all kinds of issues. So we do have a problem where the -- in the absentees, it's -- I mean, we've seen the numbers too, the data that's in there and even in the Tlicho region where 84 percent in 2023, you know, 84 percent. It was also presented at our Tlicho government or annual meeting.
So a lot of them went back to the parents, and especially the young parents who are not sending their kids to school. So I even had some -- I talked to some of the young parents too, you know, myself, why. It's not the school. It's not the teachers. You know, it's us why, you know, because we know that the teachers, they're not going to be there forever. The school is there at the moment. But it's that not sending their kids to school. And I know that we got away from the -- one of the productive choice, it will be nice if we can focus on -- especially for family that are on income support, focus on the young family that are not sending their kids to school that are on income support. How can we check to see family that are on income support sending their kids to school? Is there any way or where in the legislation or in this education that one of the productive choices that, you know, in order for a family -- but it's -- I don't know if it's one of the things that you would want to do. But find a way that we can send the kids to school, you know, or they can send their children to school and not be living -- not be at home when the school is out because it's happening a lot in many of the small communities. Even in my region I see that, you know, like, young children should not be at home but nobody is doing anything. So I know there's a lot of blame on the school or the teachers. That's what they're saying, you know, but I don't -- you know, like, I have a little grandson that goes to school, you know, so I -- I mean, that's our job -- or not our job, but that's the parent's job but we're helping the parents, you know, so there's a lot of grandparents that are doing the same thing. But what can we do to help these young parents to start sending their kids to school? And I know that in my region, the family preservation program, they're making an effort. You know, I see them working really hard, really well with the young family.
Not to punish them through the income support. But there's got to be something in there where -- because they are our future generations. We need them to be educated because many of the people are reaching the retirement age and somebody has to take over 20, 30 years from now, and that's, you know -- it's like we got to do something. We can't wait another 10 years, 20 years. Something has to be done now for the students to succeed and start focusing on the outcome, the education outcome. So do you have any plan -- is there a plan that education is doing -- that we are not aware of, but is there a plan in place where we can start focusing on fixing the absentees of our young children? Is ECE working with the parents to focus on improving the attendance rate? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Absenteeism of our students across the Northwest Territories is a huge issue and has a direct and significant impact on the education outcomes of NWT children in every single community, in small communities, in regional centres, and in Yellowknife. It is one of the strongest ways that we can support our students to succeed is by making sure that they're in school. And it is remarkable -- and I don't have the data with me but I'd be happy to show the Member -- that when a student misses, you know, even a couple of days here and there, it very quickly adds up to an entire school year, and it's very easy for those days to get away from us. And so this is certainly something that I hear about from one end of the territory to the other. I hear about it with Indigenous governments. I hear about it with parents. I hear about it with community members. I've even had an elder come and tell me about they can remember a time where, you know, elders would be sitting in front of the post office yelling at kids that weren't in class and saying get to school or get a job, but you're not on the streets, off you go. And so I really want to thank the Member for bringing this up because this is incredibly important.
There are communities and community governments that are definitely working on this one. For example, even local community leadership and the community as well working with the school board to advocate jointly for ensuring that at a local level that there is family awareness and that they are encouraging kids to go to school, encouraging families to get their kids to school.
There are also communities in the NWT who -- small communities in the NWT are saying, okay, what do our kids want? They want bikes. Let's support them with bikes and get them in the classroom, and if they go to class they get a bike. So there are different communities that are really focusing on different ways that they can support this because the Member is absolutely right, it is everybody from principals, superintendents, teachers, parents, community members, and kids themselves. Even encouraging a student that is missing in the desk next to them has a huge impact. I think that sometimes we just need to know that we're noticed when we're not around, and whether you're an adult or a child, that you matter in the classroom. I went from even Yellowknife to a school -- want me to stop talking? Okay, sorry.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member for Monfwi.
Yes, thank you. Thank you, I know you got carried away. It is okay. But you being a parent, and I know you probably seen it all and, you know, us too as well in small communities.
I know that we all want our young people to do well in life. We want them to succeed in life. We want them to start working. We don't want them living on the system or, you know, like, income support to be dependent. We want them to be independent. That's what we all want for our young people because they are our future generations. And another one too is that SFA.
I know lately I've been hearing lots of parents, especially in larger regional centre, you know, a lot of them are saying, you know, their child is already in a university. Some of them, I know they've been saying that, you know, their child is completing their first year, second year, but I haven't heard too many of those from small communities. So I just -- I want to ask the Minister if -- this is regarding student finance program. So if a student does not come back --
Sorry, Member, noting the clock I am going to rise and report progress.
Thank you to the Minister, and your witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the chamber. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 275-20(1) and would like to report progress. And Mr. Speaker, I move that the Report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Member from Deh Cho. Can I have a seconder? Somebody from Great Slave. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion passed.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Orders of the day for Wednesday, February 26th, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
Prayer or Reflection
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Oral Question 475-20(1), Budgeting Process for Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority
Oral Question 475-20(1), Senior Envoy to Government of Canada
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Written Question 13-20(1), Physician Staffing
Replies to the Commissioner’s Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motions
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act
Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 26th, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
