Debates of February 14, 2005 (day 35)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise with the question with regard to cross-cultural training. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the day that we don’t have to talk about southern hires versus northern hires, but, with that in note, Mr. Speaker, Alaska has a policy on new teachers coming to their territory to take Alaskan history. The Yukon territory has a policy and statutes that refer to Yukon history as a requirement for teachers to teach in their area. So, Mr. Speaker, more specific to the Northwest Territories, if Alaska and the Yukon government can both do something like this, can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell me if the Northwest Territories has a policy or any type of legislation mechanism that requires southern hire teachers to take a cultural awareness program and training? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 378-15(3): Cultural Awareness Training For Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment does have a Teacher Induction Program, and one of the goals of that program is to transmit the culture of the system to the new and beginning teacher. So, yes, that is something that we do try and do through the department. That’s also partly the responsibility of the various boards across the Territories. I have spoken to the chairs of all of the divisional education councils and the DEAs in Yellowknife about the importance of cultural awareness and cross-cultural training. In fact, I’ve held up examples of where I have seen good examples of it practiced in the Northwest Territories, and we’ve discussed some of those examples around our tables when we meet twice a year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 378-15(3): Cultural Awareness Training For Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister, for that information. Mr. Speaker, my next question would be who funds this training at the divisional education authority level? Who is responsible for that? What consistent approach does the department have in the creation of a module that would lead to a clear definition of cultural training for the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 378-15(3): Cultural Awareness Training For Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for instance, the Tlicho or Dogrib Community Services Board takes every teacher out on the land before school for a week for a community hunt. Almost all of the regions, in fact all of the regions do some form of cultural awareness. So it’s best handled at the board level because each region has a different culture that needs to be appreciated. Each of the boards take the lead on providing the detailed cultural awareness programming and that’s accommodated through the transfers they are provided to operate the boards in each region.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 378-15(3): Cultural Awareness Training For Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not every region shows an excellent example, like the Tlicho region, I have to emphasize. Mr. Speaker, we don’t have a mandated policy or module system that looks at the territory as a whole. We don’t have anything that looks at the history of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I am not talking about bringing southern people here and converting them. I just want to make sure they are aware of the cultural issues, aware of our history so they respect it. That’s the issue of getting that base education, so when they go into a specific region they can get that. So, Mr. Speaker, I guess really what responsibility does the territorial government have on this issue? Just a moment ago, you said we do this and now you are saying it’s left in the hands of the education authorities. So who pays for this at the educational authority level in the example you said? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 378-15(3): Cultural Awareness Training For Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Except in Yellowknife, all of the education authorities get all of their money from the Government of the Northwest Territories. So who’s paying for it? By and large, it’s this government. All of the boards are encouraged to make sure there is relevant cultural awareness training provided to all of their new teachers. They do that and it’s something I have discussed with the DECs largely because we see it as important to retention. I am satisfied that every board in the Northwest Territories is undertaking activities in this area. What we have done is encouraged them to strengthen that area. As part of the Teacher Education Program at Aurora College, one of the modules is about cultural awareness and there is also extensive training done through the Teacher Education Program on the Northwest Territories history and cultures, including land claims and treaties. So we have a system that accommodates this. It’s encompassed in the social studies programs as well, so our curriculum supports the teachers learning and understanding, then passing that on to their students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 378-15(3): Cultural Awareness Training For Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister pointing out the fact that it’s included in some of the funding, but essentially it’s a wrap-up of offloading of responsibilities, Mr. Speaker. You could say anything that the education authorities do links back to funding of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Of course it does, but it’s not specific funding derived for cross-cultural training. You also said the city of Yellowknife is exempt from that or I didn’t hear it clearly that they get direct money for our city for our education authorities. Mr. Speaker, in the state of Alaska, they do their training at the college level and they create modules of base training. Would the Minister consider creating a program that would deliver consistent programming so all teachers could access the history and values of the Northwest Territories in the principles of the education system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 378-15(3): Cultural Awareness Training For Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As part of our Teacher Education Program, that is, in fact, done by the college right now. That’s part of the Teacher Education Program. Mr. Speaker, we run a system of education in the Northwest Territories where local control is considered very important, so schools can reflect local culture, the local wishes of parents. So the funding is handed from this government to the boards by way of formula and there aren't a lot of ways in which we control that. We have the Education Act which sets out how things have to be done. We have an accepted curriculum, we have standards, but we allow boards to make their own decisions about how to undertake programs. The Tlicho may think that it’s important for all teachers to go out on the land for a week and do a community hunt. In the Sahtu region, they may have a different approach. We have to recognize that’s the right way to do it. The monies that are provided for this sort of training are given to the boards. It’s part of the formula that is allowed to the boards and we allow them to choose how to best provide that sort of training. Thank you.