Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its report on the review of the 2020 Audit of Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education, No. 2.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Thebacha, that Committee Report 6919(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2020 Audit of Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education, No. 2, be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. The committee report is deemed read.
Carried
In November 2020, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) released an action plan to address deficiencies identified in an audit of the delivery of education in the Northwest Territories.
As the 19th Assembly draws to a close, the Standing Committee on Government Operations (Committee) sought to ensure accountability at ECE for implementing the Action Plan. Committee requested and received a status update on each of the 60 action items. Committee found that two thirds of the deliverables are either complete or on-track for completion within their original timelines. The remaining third of the deliverables have revised timelines, are delayed, or are on hold.
The results show that a lot of work has been done, but a lot of work remains to be done to ensure education programs and services are fair, inclusive, and culturally relevant. Committee urges the department to prioritize work on incomplete action items. Committee also encourages Members in the 20th Assembly to build on this review and develop a consistent approach to ensuring accountability for audit follow-up work.
On February 6, 2020, the Speaker tabled an audit report entitled Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education in the Northwest Territories. 1 This performance audit was conducted by the Auditor General of Canada, who is also the Auditor for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT).
The Auditor General sought to find out whether, to improve student outcomes, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) planned, supported, and kept track of the delivery of fair and inclusive education programs and services that reflect Indigenous languages and cultures. As a result, the Auditor General made nine recommendations. ECE agreed with all recommendations.
Independently of the audit, ECE evaluated the Education Renewal and Innovation Framework (Evaluation). The Evaluation also identified recommendations for improvement.
In response to the Auditor General’s report and the ECE Evaluation, the department released An Action Plan to Improve JK-12 Student Outcomes in the NWT (Action Plan). The Action Plan addressed seven themes with 60 action items. Each action item is tracked in an online progress tracker. In June 2021, the Standing Committee on Government Operations (Committee) issued five recommendations to increase the impact of the Auditor General’s recommendations, by requesting additional actions and reporting. The government tabled its response to the recommendations in November 2021.
Committee is responsible for holding the department accountable for addressing the administrative deficiencies identified in the audit. In June 2023, as the 19th Assembly was concluding its work, Committee sought to follow up on the education audit.
Committee requested an update on the department’s progress implementing its 60 action items and Committee’s five recommendations. Committee provided the department a response template to ensure a concise and comprehensive status update.
The department’s response is disclosed in Appendix A. 40 of the 60 action items – or two thirds – are considered either “complete” or incomplete but “on-track” according to their original timelines. 13 further action items are also “on-track” but now have “revised timelines” stretching into 2024 or 2025. The remaining 7 action items are “delayed” or “on hold”.
Considerable work remains to fulfill the 38 action plan items that are not yet complete. Committee urges the department to prioritize work this work. Examples of incomplete items include:
Research and develop a 3-year pilot Indigenous Language Diploma (ILD). This deliverable was supposed to be completed by the end of 2022 but is “on hold”. ECE says it only received a program proposal from Aurora College in June 2023, and research and development will only start in 2023-24.
Develop greater integration of services for children and youth in the education system through expanding regional capacity. ECE wanted to do research and prepare for a pilot on expanding the Territorial-Based Support Team (TBST) to the regional level by the end of 2022, but this work is “on hold”. ECE says it has been difficult to staff TBST positions due to labour shortages. It is unclear what the department is doing instead to better integrate school-based services regionally.
Committee also asked the department follow-up questions on key action items and deliverables. Committee wanted more information regarding Indigenous language education, equitable access to education, and the department’s use of data. Committee’s questions and the department’s responses are included in Appendix B.
This concludes the Standing Committee on Government Operations’ Report on the Review of the 2020 Audit of Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education, No. 2.
Reports of standing and special committees. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Thebacha, that Committee Report 6919(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2020 Audit of Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education, No. 2, be received and adopted by the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. The committee report is received and adopted by the Assembly.
Carried
Reports of standing and special committees. Member for Yellowknife North.
