Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the difficulties of our Aboriginal teachers and new northern teachers in getting into our education authorities.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to advise me how is the current hiring process set up with our district education authorities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The district education authorities go through a process of hiring teachers and other professions in the community, such as principals or administrators. They all follow the Affirmative Action Policy that’s been established by this government, by all education authorities. Not only that but they also have to follow an established hiring process monitored and overseen by our Human Resources department.
The selection committee is also responsible for hiring teachers, also including local DEA members. So they can involve the community as well.
So that’s part of the process of the hiring process of DEAs. Mahsi.
Thank you very much. I’m going to have to contradict the Minister on the DEAs following our Affirmative Action Policy and our representative Workforce Strategy because I’ve been informed in the past, there’s one particular case, where an Aboriginal teacher had the same equivalencies as southern teachers, where we get a lot of them from, I’ll say that in this House, but that job was given to a southern teacher instead of our Aboriginal teacher. The affirmative guidelines clearly state same experience, same level of training and we lean towards the Aboriginal teacher.
So once again, can the Minister ensure me or show me where our education authorities must follow our Affirmative Action Policy, because I’m given to believe it’s not happening. Thank you.
Mahsi. We work very closely with the local DEAs and DECs, so we have to ensure that they all follow. That Affirmative Action Policy fully applies to all education authorities across the Northwest Territories and they must follow and establish a hiring process monitor and are also overseen by our HR department that Mr. Tom Beaulieu is responsible for.
So those are some of the processes that we need to work closely with all the DEAs across the Northwest Territories to make sure that they hire the most qualified people from the communities as well. Mahsi.
While the policy may be there, I don’t believe that it is being followed out, because in our Health department, which is also a stand-alone department, they involved Human Resources right throughout the selection committee and to the hiring committees as well. But there’s no such thing that happens with our education authorities. Human Resources is not involved, nor are they with the selection committee and our interview committee and I think that’s an issue and that’s what I’d like to see our education authorities do. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, part of the process obviously involves Human Resources staff personnel. There are regions that differ when it comes to hiring, but with respect to the Dehcho DEA, I have to make further inquiries about Human Resources being part of the process as well. So I’ll get that information and previous incidents of hiring practices, if they have involved Human Resources. I’ll get that information. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much. I’m pleased with the Minister’s commitment to look into it and I truly believe that all our education authorities must involve Human Resources and must involve them at all levels, even at the interview stage, because I believe that we’ve taken great strides for this government. This government wants a represented workforce and it must include our education authorities. So once more I ask the Minister to look at that, meet with his officials at the boards and ensure that our Affirmative Action Policy is followed. Thank you.
Yes, we will continue to monitor and make sure that the DEAs are following the Affirmative Action Policy, and the process itself involving the Human Resources will be brought to the DEAs’ attention. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
