Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is for the Minister of ECE, Education, Culture and Employment. I wanted to thank the Minister of ECE for his response from yesterday. He responded to my question with short sentences, and I need clarification.
Yesterday the Minister mentioned that he is discussing MOUs with Indigenous government in the context of the Education Act modernization. Can the Minister explain when he started working on the MOUs with the Indigenous partners? Will these MOUs include phase 1 of the Education Act modernization, or are they about phase 2 only? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. So we don't have the capacity to engage in, you know, the very intensive process of developing MOUs while we are also working on phase 1. So once this phase 1 work is completed sometime in the new year, we will begin working on the MOUs for phase 2. Thank you.
Thank you. Are these MOUs between ECE and the Indigenous government or between Executive and Indigenous Affairs and the Indigenous governments? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. So as I've said, we haven't started on those so I can't answer the question. These MOUs don't currently exist. At some point in the new year, in 2023, I will have an answer. Thank you.
Thank you. Well, he did mention it so that's why I thought I'd ask about that.
So Madam Speaker, I wanted to ensure that I am clear, and that our people and students in the small communities are clear, about what is coming to them. How would the Minister explain to students in our small communities, how will their school prepare them to access secondary education? How does he work with their Indigenous government to prepare them for secondary education? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. So it sounds like we're on a new line of questioning here about how the GNWT is working with Indigenous governments for education.
So obviously the Education Act modernization is going to be one of the center pieces of that engagement. I've had a number of meetings with Indigenous governments, as Cabinet where the issue of education is discussed, many meetings where education is the sole issue being discussed. We're of course working with the Tlicho government on Chief Jimmy Bruneau School, working with Colville Lake on their school. There's locally developed courses where Indigenous governments and education bodies work together to develop classes for schools. So there's a number of ways that we are engaging. There is the curriculum renewal. We're, of course, adapting British Columbia's curriculum. And we are we've reached out to Indigenous governments and asked them to identify some representatives that can work with us on ensuring that's adapted properly so it reflects local Indigenous cultures. And I could go on, but I will stop. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
How can they participate the students, how can they participate in decisions to change the Education Act, not phase 2? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. So when we went out and engaged on the Education Act, we did reach out to everyone. Students were encouraged to participate. If anyone wants to each out to me directly, any students want to write emails, even have meetings, I'm happy to do that. I'm also we're also creating the Minister's Student Advisory Council. And so I'll have engagement through that. But if any students want to provide input on education, the education system, curriculum, anything, I would be happy to hear it. I would be more than happy to hear it; I encourage it. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
