Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to weigh in on where Mr. Bromley left off, but from a little bit of a different angle on junior kindergarten.
Throughout my time as a Member for Range Lake, I’ve been an unwavering advocate of early childhood development programs. We all know that junior kindergarten is just one component in the ECD Action Plan and I support this government’s decision to bring it on. But I take issue with the government’s method on how we’re paying for it.
Junior kindergarten will roll out across the Northwest Territories beginning with small communities in 2014, followed by regional centres in 2015 and, finally, Yellowknife in 2016. There will be no injection of new money in the system. Instead, select district education authority councils, or DEAs, will be forced to do more with less.
Yellowknife boards will be the first to take the hit. Next year their budgets will decrease by hundreds of thousands of dollars to subsidize the junior kindergarten rollout happening elsewhere, and as a side effect, Yellowknife class sizes will expand and the quality of programs may diminish.
The Minister has stated that Yellowknife boards have a surplus, but it’s important to know that these funds are raised, at least in part, through taxes on city ratepayers. I guarantee the JK rollout will jeopardize the fiscal equilibrium of Yellowknife boards, forcing increases to mill rates. Let me remind you, leaning excessively on Yellowknife ratepayers doesn’t pass any fairness test I can think of.
With this move, the government is up to its old tricks, Mr. Speaker. One only needs to look back in 2012 when a substantial sum was reallocated from inclusive schooling to ECD programs and the Yellowknife boards were forced to pony up.
It’s unwise and even counterproductive to penalize any school board that engages in sound fiscal management. Poaching from hard-earned cash surpluses only breeds resentment. With no infusion of new money, is it fair to expect the DEAs to offer 14 grades of education for 13 grade dollars? It may be legal to adjust the pupil-teacher ratio, but at the end of the day the burden will be borne by our children.
I must return to my first point. Junior kindergarten makes good sense, but this government has yet again singled out a handful of DEAs, mainly ones with a tax base, to fund activities in small communities.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
When the education renewal action plan is finally tabled, I’ll be watching to see if it receives the infusion of new money it deserves.
This government’s re-profiling antics have to cease. Mr. Speaker, there is no more blood in these stones. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
