Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I talked about Jordan's Principle and the troubling developments that, although there are good reasons to look at the eligibility funding, it was so open beforehand that schools really didn't have to worry about this, and now they may have to. So I know that schools are worried about whether they can continue to provide supports to First Nations students. So I'm wondering what is the Minister's plan if that funding is either -- is diminished in whatever capacity. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's huge concerns on this. We ourselves put about $165 million from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment straight into education bodies. And over the course of the time that Jordan's Principle has been available, schools have been able to put in their own applications looking for support for other areas and have attracted a further $60 million into our education system, and so we heavily rely on Jordan's Principle within the territory. This week I do have meetings with our education Ministers from our sister territories because these concerns are broadly shared, and we intend to continue to advocate for Jordan's Principle funding for the territories because we know it is just crucially important. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister work with territorial and provincial counterparts to ensure that schools are carved out of any stringent funding applications, because that seems to be the issue. You know, we've heard the stories, including from the family, the initial family that this money was being used for X-boxes and ballet lessons and things like that, so there's a sense to put some guardrails around it but our schools shouldn't have to suffer for that. So can the Minister commit to advocating for our schools when she does reach out to her territorial and provincial counterparts. Thank you.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Very concise. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. If the funding falls through, however, will the Minister bring forward additional funding, at least for this fiscal year to ensure -- to the next fiscal year, whenever the funding falls through, as a bridge so students and First Nations kids don't lose out on opportunities that this money provides for them. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, right now we're working with education bodies to completely understand, you know, exactly what this entails. So as the Member alluded to in their statement, classroom assistants are a huge component of this but there are other elements that education bodies are having funded through Jordan's Principle, and we don't vet these applications, we don't see them. Applications go from education bodies straight to the federal government.
The other crucial piece around this is the federal government does have guardrails within their policy. Their criteria states that they have to have a professional vet the application of a student, and so the federal government does have guardrails. And I absolutely, as the Member alluded to, will be taking this up with my counterparts because the essence and intent of this legislation is crucially important, not just for the territories but clear across the country. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
