Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Yesterday, when the Minister was answering questions from the honourable Member from Frame Lake here in regards about -- that is Frame Lake; right? Kam Lake. Sorry. I got it wrong.
No, this is Frame Lake.
Yes, this is Frame Lake.
Order.
Order. Was asking questions to the Minister about foundational review and that. Can the Minister advise us if he is giving the same messaging to the college as he has given to us? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, our department has been working closely with the Aurora College and always has been having a good partnership with them.
As our contractor has been doing the work around the foundational review, we have been getting updates and ensuring that the Aurora College and the staff know what the process is, the process that I explained yesterday to the Member for Frame Lake. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate that answer from the Minister. I guess my concern is that, you know, yesterday after the exchange here on the floor, I got a couple of phone calls from students asking me, "Well, it's not what they're being told." I guess the question to the Minister is: what is the messaging that the college is getting, because it seems that the students and maybe some of the staff are not getting the same message.
As I mentioned yesterday, those two specific programs, we did stop taking enrolments in the programs. The students who are currently in there are going to continue to get the support that they need to graduate, complete their programs, and I've said that in the House on numerous occasions. We will follow up with the staff at Aurora College as well to make sure that they're sending the same message to the students that we want to support them, we want them to graduate, and also to support them if they want to go to another post-secondary institution.
I appreciate the Minister's answer to that. Don't get me wrong, the staff have been clear with the students and have been very supportive and have been giving the messaging, but I guess the students have been hearing different things at the college and that. Has the college given an email to the students saying, this is the process that the program is being reviewed and that, after the time this program is being reviewed, so the foundational report, whether it's the social work program or the teacher's program, after it's done, then they're going to make a decision?
We can have some staff follow up with Aurora College and make sure that information that's been portrayed to the students since we've started this process, that it will be relayed to the students. It is an operational component, so we will check with Aurora College on that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister for doing that. At the end of the day, I guess the students out there who are looking at the social work program and the teacher's program, what can we tell them that is going to happen? Is the NWT seriously looking at providing this program or are we going to maybe potentially do a modification of it? Because if you look at our Skills 4 Success, some of the hugest needs are social workers or teachers and that, and our early childhood. Can the Minister elaborate on that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I think the message here is that anybody who wants to go into a social work program or education program, that we will continue to support them. I've always said that we have one of the best student financial assistance programs in all the country. If they want to get into that program, we can help them identify an institution, whether it's outside the Northwest Territories, getting that program in place. I think also a focus right now as we're moving forward, and I've said this to Members, is making sure that we get that foundational review done. It absolutely isn't a program review. I've mentioned that we've looked at things like governance, the operations, accountability, student retention, and I've mentioned that many times in this House. I think the main thing is that we get this foundational review done for our own Aurora College here in the Northwest Territories. Any student who wants to get into social work or into the education degree program, we will still continue to support them with our Student Financial Assistance funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
