Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. My statement today dealt with the appeal from the Aurora College second year business administration students for the reintroduction of a degree-granting program. What action has the Minister taken to investigate and respond to this very positive suggestion? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When we first heard of and also received information from the students, we passed it on to the college immediately because the programming falls on the college campuses. We encouraged them that they need to explore those areas, how we can best deliver this programming. It is not only business, there is also social work that grants a degree program that the students have asked me, I believe it was two or three years ago here in this building. From there, we have been working on that as well.
Those are just some of the areas that I need to work closely with the college and to potentially deliver a degree-granting program here in the Northwest Territories.
I do agree; we need to have those students here attend our own campuses. There are a lot of benefits involved in that. We will continue to make that dialogue with the college. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the comments from the Minister. I appreciate his direction to college to get after this. The president of Aurora College was quoted in media, saying that the past three-year Aurora College programs were withdrawn because of some bumps in keeping them. I know that is the business of the college, but I am wondering if the Minister would know what those bumps are and what action is being taken to clear them away. Mahsi.
With any program delivery through the colleges, there are always challenges, whether it be enrolment or the programming itself. There are all kinds of challenges that we’re faced with. We have to get through those barriers, those obstacles that may be in the way. That is what we are doing right now. We are discussing how to best get around that, to deliver those degree-granting programs here in the Northwest Territories. That is what we want to see. That is what I would like to see, as Minister responsible, and to have university-granting programing here in the Northwest Territories.
Our North is booming and we need to have those highly skilled people with the qualification as a professional in the Northwest Territories to be retained in the Northwest Territories. That is what we are pushing with the college and other sectors, as well, through our partners in southern institutions too. Mahsi.
The Minister and I are on the same page there. We really would like to keep these students here, and engaged, and up working here as opposed to getting jobs elsewhere by going to schools down south.
The level of student commitment is indicated by the fact that, although 87 percent of the students are parents, they are making education a priority and juggling their parenting jobs and studies to get ahead. Forcing these students to leave their home territory for these advanced studies would be yet another burden. We want them to stay here, as we have said.
Will the Minister commit to report to committee on options for reintroducing three-year programming – I assume he will work with the college on that – and, specifically, plans for creating a degree-granting business administration program this fall.
As I have stated, those are the areas that we are currently exploring with the president, college staff and the Board of Governors. Like the Member, I do not want to see those parents going elsewhere, but here in the Northwest Territories to get educated. We will do what we can to deliver those programs.
Right now we have a diploma program. Obviously, third and fourth year are down in southern institutions with our partners. We will see what we can do to deliver that effectively and immediately in the Northwest Territories. The fall may not be an appropriate time, but definitely that is our target to push this forward and deliver that as soon as possible here in the Northwest Territories if it all works. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks again to the Minister. Yes, with 30-some students in second year, I think this fall would be a great target for the Minister.
The Minister announced the review of the implementation of the reorganization and so on with our Aurora College. It is just about to get off the ground. Will the Minister include consultation with students on their priorities and perspectives when he is doing a review of this reorganization? Thank you.
The college review, we are talking about the clear roles and responsibilities of the staffing and so forth. With the programming, there are all of these opportunities for the students’ input. I would like to hear their perspectives. I have met with the students here, the post-secondary students, and also those students that were in the diploma-granting and Social Work Program. Those are the key people that we need to listen to. In order to have this program delivered here, we need to gather all the facts and what the students’ input is and so forth. Definitely, I will be passing on to the college, through the president and the board chair. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
