Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Education since it is Education Week and our theme day on education has just been rolled out here. I think it’s important that there was a government policy made back in the 12th Assembly to implement K to 12 in all communities in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, some 16 years later we still haven’t fully implemented the policy, in which there’s communities that still don’t have high schools such as the community I represent in Tsiigehtchic. I know that the Beaufort communities are in the same boat.
I think, Mr. Speaker, we have to ensure that we have the policy, that we’re able to implement it fully. The whole intention of the policy back then was to get away from having to send our children away from our home communities to regional centres in regard to having to attend school and high school, and also because of the residential school fallout from that. I think, Mr. Speaker, again, some 16 years later the policy’s been put in force and we’re still not having full implementation of K to 12 in all communities. I’d like to ask the Minister of Education what his department is doing to ensure that we can have high schools in communities such as the ones I represent such as Tsiigehtchic.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Since the establishment of the policy that’s being referred to, the direction, it’s always been the mandate of this government, and also specifically the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, to have K to 12 into the school system in the communities that we represent. We have initiated some into the communities. It is at the discretion of the school boards and also the communities. If they want a high school to kick-start in their region, grade 10, grade 11, grade 12, then by all means we’re definitely open to discussion with the school boards, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we have initiated that and we will continue to do that with other regions such as the Beaufort-Delta, the Member’s riding, that may not have grade 12, but we’re open to discussing that with the district education council. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, in regard to the policy, there are challenges implementing the policy, especially when we’re putting roadblocks in the way of the communities by way of student-teacher ratio. The system we have now is 16 to 1. The community of Tsiigehtchic basically has maybe 38 students. Because of the ratio, the most teachers they’re going to get are two. For me, that is the problem with the policy and being able to implement the K to 12 strategy of getting high schools in all our communities.
As the Minister, I believe that you have to take into consideration the unique situations and you have to revamp the policy in regard to student-teacher ratio so the ratio is realistic and achievable in communities where you have low populations of students. I’d like to ask the Minister, would you consider looking at that as an area that we can work on to solve this problem of getting high schools in our communities?
Mr. Speaker, this is an area that we can explore. We have explored other areas as well, and the policy development or establishment, and made some changes and amendments to certain policies. When it comes to student-teacher ratio, we’ve made some changes in the past that reflect on whether it be the inclusive schooling or other programming area. I’m committed that we can look at this area and if we need to make changes, I’ll definitely notify the standing committee, my colleagues, to say if we need to do this, we need to start planning together with the district education council and also with the district education authority as well. Mr. Speaker, I will look into this and see what can come out of this. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, another area I think the Minister should seriously look at is the whole area of boarding of the students that have to leave their home communities and go to the regional centres. In Inuvik they had a hostel that was designed for the students from the Beaufort-Delta to go to Inuvik and take high school, which was costing over $400,000 a year. Since that, they’ve revamped the program where they’re basically allowing now for home board, or basically boarding the students with families in Inuvik, which is costing in excess of $200,000. So there’s a surplus of $200,000 somewhere in the system that could be used to enhance the programs in those communities that need additional teachers. Would you also consider looking into that as an area that we can find revenues to implement that idea?
Mr. Speaker, in respect to the boarding, it is at the board level, the education board level. We provide funding for the students, the enrolment, and they provide funding to the various organizations to establish such as a boarding home. So if there’s a surplus, it goes back to the school board and it is at their discretion to allocate the funding to various programming or other areas as well.
As the Minister, I need to work with that with the school board and I can’t give them the direction to say you should spend that money in that area. I have to respect their decision, as well, but I will commit to this House that I will be working with the school board. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister to use some ministerial discretion here, because I believe that we’re failing our students in the small communities who are dropping out, who are going back home because they are not fully accommodated for their education like other students in their home communities. I’d like to ask the Minister to take some direction on this and look at the resources that you’re giving to the education boards and give it directly to the communities that need that resource. I believe that is where the bottleneck is and I believe the Minister has to take some action on this one, and the Minister should use some of his prerogative and make sure that those dollars are being spent in the communities where we’re seeing those students failing because they’re not achieving their high school abilities because of having to fall out of school because basically they’re not back in their home communities because the supports aren’t there.
Mr. Speaker, this is an area that I’m fully committed. The Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, I’m looking forward to the Members’ discussion at that level when we’re in the Beaufort-Delta in May, along with other discussions, the solutions that will be brought to the table and this will definitely be a part of it. We’ve heard from other Sahtu and other regions as well about the boarding and also the Deh Cho. I’m glad the Member is raising that issue and I’m looking forward to that discussion in May. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
