Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to announce that I will be introducing a new Education Act in this House later today.
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It is an accomplishment in which the public, school boards, and Members of the Legislative Assembly have participated.
This proposed new law for education gives authority to communities for the delivery of schooling. It provides the flexibility we need for future constitutional development. It focuses on students, promotes parental and community decision-making, and enables communities to develop a vision for their schools and for their children's learning.
The Education Act which now governs the system was approved in 1977. The organization of local education authorities in this act provided for a progression from advisory committee, to society, and finally to a decision-making board. Although some committees did become societies, societies did not evolve into boards. The system the 1977 act put in place recognized the importance of local control and culture, but it retained most of the authority for program delivery with the Minister and the department.
In 1982, the Special Committee on Education reviewed the system and introduced a new structure to give more local control to communities -- divisional boards of education. The Education Act was amended to provide for divisional boards in 1983 and, since then, has been amended many times. Eight divisional boards were established across the north, from 1985 with the Baffin Divisional Board of Education, to 1990 with the South Slave Divisional Board of Education. These changes were significant. Communities, through divisional boards, began to make more decisions about schooling.
Now communities want to make decisions about schooling not envisaged in 1977 or 1982. They want to be able to make broad decisions about learning and have more authority and flexibility than they have through the current law. They want real authority to provide direction in education in their schools and in their communities. They want high standards of excellence in education and they want the Minister and department to ensure that these standards are consistent across the territories.
Immense changes have occurred in our country and in the Northwest Territories in the last 15 years. We have seen the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of Canada; new technology; changes in the age, values and skills of the population; and, increasing fiscal restraints, to name a few. In consultation with the people across the north, we have developed a strategy for Education, Culture and Employment programs to take us 15 years into the future, but we need a new Education Act to support and enable the kind of change envisaged for education.
People have been asked and have provided direction for the legislative change they think is necessary in education. In 1990, they provided general directions through a consultation process and in 1994, they gave us more specific direction about each section of the proposed act. Last November, we tabled a legislative discussion paper on the draft of the new Education Act. We presented and discussed it in detail with the Standing Committee on Legislation and with boards and divisional boards of education. Concerns about specific proposals have been raised and debated and, where possible, changes made in the legislation.
Education is a subject which is important to everyone and everyone has opinions on what they would like to see change or what they think is most important. Although we cannot hope to have consensus on every issue, the consultation so far has resulted in changes in the act which I believe address most concerns and respond to the directions we have received.
The new Education Act begins with students and ends with the administration of the system. It emphasizes partnership and enables students to be real partners in their learning. It continues to recognize language and culture as the foundation of the system and increases the responsibilities of educators, as well as students, parents and community authorities. Above all, it enables communities to make decisions together, in those areas where they can pool their resources and separately, when they are providing direction for the schools in their communities. It enables change and development in the education system.
This government has recognized the inherent right of aboriginal peoples to self-government. The changes proposed in this act will facilitate the development of a unique Inuit system of education in Nunavut and will facilitate change in the western territory to enable people to set their own education goals.
Mr. Speaker, this Assembly has stated that education is a priority, and I believe that introducing and considering the new Education Act now demonstrates that priority. This act is the result of considerable investment and consultation over the years. It will be seen as an accomplishment of the 12th Assembly. Thank you.
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