Debates of October 25, 2004 (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Honourable Charles Dent, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Last week in the Assembly I raised the issue of student financial assistance and how some students mid-year don’t receive transcripts and then later on find out that they didn’t pass the proper caseload during the first semester and are sometimes required to pay back some very substantial amounts of money. Mr. Speaker, since then I’ve had occasion to ponder a few more questions about that. When the Minister was responding to me he referred to the percentages of 60 percent and 75 percent and how there had been changes recently in the policy. I was wondering if the Minister could elaborate on that, for starters. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 300-15(3): Course Load Requirement For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the difference is that until this year there was a requirement for students in third and fourth and fifth and sixth and so on years to carry a course load that was equivalent to 75 percent of a full load in order to qualify for Student Financial Assistance. We have this year instituted moving up one year at a time a 60 percent requirement for attendance. So a student who started this year in first year will be able to carry that requirement for a 60 percent course load through until the end of their schooling. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 300-15(3): Course Load Requirement For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think that is probably a very good change in the fact that it’s challenging sometimes for students to carry a 75 percent course load and then have any time for working or means of supporting themselves, or perhaps they’re parents and they have family responsibilities. I think it’s a good thing. What precipitated the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to make this change? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 300-15(3): Course Load Requirement For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was a change that I had wanted to see made for some time and we had some evidence that students, in spite of being warned that there was a requirement for 75 percent success, or success in 75 percent of a full course load, that they weren’t all aware of it. So the transition from first and second year to subsequent years was not going as well for some students as had been hoped. In order to make it more likely that students would be successful, I directed the department to come forward with this change. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 300-15(3): Course Load Requirement For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is any of the money that we use for student financial assistance directly funded for that purpose through the federal government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 300-15(3): Course Load Requirement For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we opted out of the Canada Student Loan Program, we get about $1 million a year from Canada in order to be able to carry on with the program in a similar fashion for people who would not qualify for our Student Financial Assistance. We put millions more into the program on its own, but we do make sure that the program matches at least what the Canadian program is and we do collect some money from Canada, but we get it as a contribution towards our program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 300-15(3): Course Load Requirement For Student Financial Assistance

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a result of that contribution from Canada, are there any stipulations put on our program in terms of…I’m thinking of this 75 percent rule because, Mr. Speaker, it’s come to my attention that in fact the federal government through other programs that they offer, Student Financial Assistance has never required a 75 percent case load and I want to know, in the contract or in the contribution agreement for the $1 million we get from Canada was there not a stipulation in there with respect to the amount of course load in passing that needed to be required to receive that money? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 300-15(3): Course Load Requirement For Student Financial Assistance

Mr. Speaker, as I’ve said, we’ve opted out of the Canada Student Loan Program, so we don’t maintain the exact standards of that program. The federal government has agreed to contribute, because our program, in general, is better than the federal program. So I don’t believe there was that sort of stipulation in any agreement for the contribution, no.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Charles Dent. I’d like to start off by saying that last Friday I started some questions saying that the department and the Minister were non-responsive to some questions I had. They were responsive, Mr. Speaker, but maybe just not with the answers I was looking for. I’d like to apologize to the Minister if I upset him with the questioning.

---Laughter

The question I have today for the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is last week I talked about a list targeting employees at the North Slave Correctional Centre and I’m just wondering if there is no list, then why are we paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in wrongful dismissal suits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.