Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the importance of language and learning the importance of the first language. I want to ask the Minister of Education, in terms of the language programs in the Northwest Territories, if there are plans underway to bridge the gap with language between the home and the school in terms of introducing a strong elders program into the schools where language can be taught with our teachers and the elders involved.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Certainly they are, for a number of years now, developing programs that meet the needs of the communities, whether it be the language, the programming, the cultural on-the-land program, taking students out on the land, and just immersion programs into the schools. Not only that, but we are developing some strategies to deal with our languages and eliminating the educational gaps within our schools in the Northwest Territories. So there are those two strategies in place. We’ve also just developed a strategy on literacy, 2008-2018, that deals specifically with the low literacy skills at the community level. We are in the process of developing those strategies pertaining to language and the educational gaps.
Recently the Minister indicated through his ministerial statement regarding the graduating rates in the Northwest Territories and the gaps between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people. In terms of our languages taught in our schools, can the Minister indicate to me if there is any type of commitment that would strengthen the aboriginal languages in our communities so that we will see this gap closed in terms of having our students graduate with a comfortable level of their first language?
Certainly we’ve heard from visitors in the communities in the regions and coming from the Dene Nation meeting just last week. We’ve heard over and over the importance of preserving and revitalizing our language and enhancing our language. That is certainly one of the prime focuses of our Department of Education and this government. We will certainly do what we can to deal with those strategies. That’s the key message that we’re receiving from the communities. It is our priority to promote that even more into the communities and schools. We’ve certainly talked about using the elders. We have used the elders in the past and will continue to do so. Because this is Aboriginal Languages Month, that is one of the key priorities.
In terms of the languages in our small schools, can the Minister advise me if there is any type of strategy within the next couple of months on how we start bridging the gap with our elders in our schools? I know there’s some discussion, but the elders are the ones who are the keepers of our language. Can the Minister let this House know what type of strategy he can bring forward within the next couple months on how to start implementing the elders into our schools?
Certainly those areas will be captured in the renewing of our Aboriginal Languages Strategy. We will be consulting with the aboriginal stakeholders, the leaders, the parents, the community organizations. Those are the experts at the community level. The 33 communities that we serve we certainly like to hear their input on the challenges. What are the gaps? What are the root causes of the challenges we’re faced with today? We like to hear them out, because we certainly don’t have, as a department, all the answers. So we’re reaching out to the communities to say give us solutions to work from within our department. Certainly that will involve the elders. Members have been persistently involving the elders through the transition and we will continue to do so, to utilize their expertise. We have the published textbook of the late George Blondin and Philip Zoe from Gameti. Those are the publications that we use as resource tools in the schools.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll ask the Minister in terms of the importance of language in our schools and putting some dedicated dollars towards the language programs and having the elders involved. Can I ask the Minister about his strategy for bringing the elders in? Because right now if you bring the elders into the schools there are some complications in terms of their salary, because they would be penalized by the federal government or our own for having additional dollars. That’s where there are some major issues. Can the Minister indicate to me if there is any type of strategy within the next couple of months on how to get the elders without penalizing them when we bring them into our school system?
Clearly this has been a challenge for us within the school system. We’re trying to tackle that issue. I think out of this strategy certainly that will be one of the key topics of discussion on a going-forward basis. How can we get around hiring elders in the schools without penalizing their pension? Those are the areas. The Member also gave us some ideas on how to get around the system. We’re clearly looking for solutions from the communities on getting around the system. Certainly that will be one of the primary discussions that we’ll be having, so there are no impacts on the elders and seniors in the schools, because we need to utilize their services. They are the experts in the traditional way of life.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
