Debates of May 31, 2005 (day 5)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions today will be to the Cabinet and the government with regard to the proposed transfer of TTC to outside of Yellowknife. Madam Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. We, the Yellowknife Members, have been learning a lot about what this program is about and one of the new things we have learned is that the local educational system has a very intimate and intense involvement with the children who are housed there. Although they have their own classroom there, it is being administered by the Catholic school board. The Catholic schools and all the public schools are involved in incorporating these children into the educational program. I would like to think that when a government makes the decision that impacts the lives and future of as many as eight children, that the government would look into what kind of educational impact it would have on the children. I would like to know what work the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and his staff has done to take care of the needs of these students. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 51-15(4): Territorial Treatment Centre School Program

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the proposed move of the facility is still at least a year-and-a-half away. This still has to go through the business planning process, so at this point Education, Culture and Employment hasn't actually done anything to plan the move.

I can tell you that ECE funds Yellowknife Catholic schools for providing services to that facility as a magnet facility, just as we fund YK No. 1 for the services that they provide to Allison MacAteer House. If that facility were to move to another community, that funding, the magnet funding, would also move to provide the schools in that region with the funding to provide the services.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 51-15(4): Territorial Treatment Centre School Program

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think the troubling aspect of the debate in this House about this issue is that the focus is so much on the money and the jobs being created, which is not a small thing. After all, we make decisions about how to spend money and such. Today, I think I was trying to indicate in my Member’s statement that we need to focus on the children that are being treated there because of very, very severe issues that they need to be helped with.

These educators are not just an agent that gets government money and just runs this program. These educators are also the experts about educating children and they are aware of what issues these children are being treated with and what they need clinically, psychologically, everything. I would think that Cabinet, when they were deciding to move this, would have looked at what this would all mean. I don't think it is good enough to say we are going to take care of that in the future. I would like to know what sort of pre-op work has been done. What information did the Minister bring to the Cabinet table in discussing this issue? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 51-15(4): Territorial Treatment Centre School Program

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It wasn't an issue that was brought to the Cabinet table by Education, Culture and Employment. It was a proposal by the Minister of Health and Social Services. However, I would say Education, Culture and Employment is prepared to ensure the children, no matter which community they are located in, receive the appropriate services. When I talked about the money, I was talking about making sure that we had the money to pay the salaries of the people that would be required to provide those services. That will follow the children.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Shorter supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 51-15(4): Territorial Treatment Centre School Program

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Short supplementary. I would like to think that when Cabinet Ministers look at transferring a program like this they would work with more information than just transfer this. I like to think that the Education Minister would have brought to the table what it would mean to the kids there, because obviously the Cabinet and the government are the caretakers. I would like to know what information, if any, has he got thus far about what kind of education program these students will be needing. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 51-15(4): Territorial Treatment Centre School Program

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The education programs are delivered in the Northwest Territories by divisional education councils. They are funded to deliver that program. In this case, the appropriate divisional education council will be funded to deliver the program. The expectation is that appropriate programs are provided no matter what needs the kids have. That is why we have an inclusive schooling policy. It doesn't matter where a child is in the Northwest Territories, it is the responsibility of the divisional education council to make sure that they provide appropriate programming for that child; whether that child is in Hay River, Yellowknife, Inuvik or Fort Smith. It makes no difference. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 51-15(4): Territorial Treatment Centre School Program

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is obvious that the Minister doesn't know the full information about this, because we are not dealing with special needs children who need inclusive programs here. We are talking about children who are far beyond the needs of inclusive schooling. Does the Minister know that these students, eight of them, cannot be absorbed into one school? The benefit of having them in Yellowknife is that they can be chosen to go to any of the seven schools. There is no way one school could absorb all of these students, because they have such high needs. Does the Minister of Education know that? Why does he not know that, if he doesn't know that? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Minister Dent.

Further Return To Question 51-15(4): Territorial Treatment Centre School Program

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The population in that facility today may be totally different in 18 months, so I can't speak for where the kids may be able to go in 18 months. I can tell you, as far as I know, Hay River has more than two schools.