Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Jackson Lafferty. Mr. Speaker, a while back we’d raised concerns in this House regarding the potential closing of a storefront school facility in Hay River. The storefront had been extremely successful in accommodating students in acquiring credit, that had not thrived in the regular conventional school environment.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that subsequent to that the Minister and some of his officials have taken the opportunity to meet with the DEA in Hay River and I believe that some kind of a solution has been resolved, or has been arrived at. Mr. Speaker, I would like the Minister, if he could, apprise the House of what their findings were and what has been done to ensure that this important community asset continue. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Member for asking that question, because this has been in the works for some time now.
The alternative school programming consists of Hay River, as well, and there have been several meetings between the school boards and my department. I did make a commitment to visit the schools as well, which I did when I was in Hay River for the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. I went to see the students there. But what it came down to is as of March we decided to look at the tentative school programming and let’s hire a consultant to have a thorough analysis of the programming in the community, which we did. So the recommendations that came out of that were regarding the funding that would allow for adequate funding for a successful program, which the Member has alluded to. It has been very successful, and the recommendations were considered, and a method of funding has been established, and we are working closely with the superintendants of DECs and DEAs to establish those working relations and the changes to the funding will be highlighted. Mahsi.
Thank you. So the changing to the funding, I’m going to assume, was increased funding so that the allocation that the DEA and DEC put towards the alternative schooling will continue. I’d just like to ask the Minister just for clarification then, has the issue essentially been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction and we can look forward to, in the fall, this service continuing in Hay River? Thank you.
Mahsi. First of all, I’d just like to commend the DEA and DECs, and also the Members, for voicing their concerns about this particular programming. Yes, the program changes, there will be an increase in funding that’s satisfactory to DEAs, DECs and our department. So that is in the works and it will be announced and the funding will be flowed through as of July 1st on the school year. So it’s good news for the communities that we represent on the alternative school programming. Mahsi.
Thank you. I’d like to thank the Minister for his attention to this very important matter and for the resolution that’s been brought to it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I didn’t hear a question there. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
