Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a society we need to cultivate and promote our strong northern candidates for positions of leadership in education. Through its Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, ECE is placing top priority on improving the academic performance of Aboriginal students, and rightly so. Grade standings, competencies, and graduation rates among Aboriginal students remain unacceptably low in comparison with non-Aboriginal students across the NWT. Here in Yellowknife 50 percent of our students are Aboriginal.
Regional consultations note that strong teaching and program administration is key. Looking closely at our biggest success stories, it’s the teachers and school administrators with long northern experience that are making the biggest difference. In Weledeh, Kalemi Dene School exemplifies this. Checking the staff list you see teachers with decades of service improving and refining culturally relevant, locally knowledgeable programming. Leadership has been critical.
Kalemi Dene’s principal is well known for her 18 years-plus of Aboriginal teaching experience, her master’s in education, the recognition of her excellence through national awards and national Aboriginal mentorship programs, and above all, her inspirational leadership and commitment. Given her credentials, numerous Aboriginal students in the district and lack of Aboriginal personnel in upper management positions, many were shocked when the recent staff position for a Yellowknife education district assistant superintendent position passed over such an exemplary candidate in favour of a southern hire, especially in the case of an assistant superintendent. Others and I saw this as a missed opportunity for progressive leadership and succession planning.
Northern students and their teachers need strong role models. Northern hiring practices need to place great weight upon the value of long northern service and accomplishment. Staffing policy at the education boards is a matter of board policy. Yet, incredibly, no affirmative action, northern hire, or appeal policies are in place in at least one board. However, this government contributes about 80 percent of the funding to boards and can rightly take a strong role in urging policy.
I’ve raised this issue with the board and the Minister. We need to learn from this experience, work with our partners, develop and promote the excellence of our local candidates. Mr. Speaker, let’s get it done. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
