Debates of June 22nd, 1995
This is page numbers 1525 - 1578 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was language.
Topics
- Members Present
- Item 1: Prayer
- Minister's Statement 107-12(7): Gun Control Lobby
- Minister's Statement 108-12(7): 1994 Annual Report - Workers' Compensation Board
- Bowhead Whales
- Development Of The Cooperative Movement
- Manufacturing Of Northern Products
- 25th Anniversary Of Buffalo Airways
- Evolution Of Government System
- Appreciation Of Constituents, Colleagues And Staff
- Environmental Concerns
- Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
- Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Question 674-12(7): Review Of Non-insured Health Benefits
- Question 675-12(7): High Cost Of Infant Formulas In Eastern Arctic
- Question 676-12(7): Maca Minister's Commitment To Visit North Slave Constituency
- Question 677-12(7): Employee Layoffs From Legal Interpreting Program
- Question 678-12(7): Infrastructure And Communication Concerns In Sanikiluaq
- Question 679-12(7): Medical Travel Costs For Seniors
- Question 680-12(7): Delay In Response From Labour Standards Division
- Question 681-12(7): Update On Bird Dog Officer's Safety Concerns
- Question 682-12(7): Translation Of Education Act Into Dene Languages
- Question 683-12(7): Status Of Dc-4s Used In Fighting Forest Fires
- Question 684-12(7): Sale Of Staff Housing To GNWT Employees
- Question 685-12(7): Criteria For Acquiring NWT Birth Certificate
- Question 686-12(7): Duties Of Legal Interpreting Program
- Question 687-12(7): Improvements To Banking Services In Nwt
- Question 688-12(7): Funding For Medical Interpreting Services
- Return To Written Question 33-12(7): Resolutions Of The Nunavut Leaders' Summit On Education And Training
- Return To Written Question 34-12(7): Person Years To Combat Forest Fires
- Item 9: Replies To Opening Address
- Item 12: Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills
- Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
- Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Committee Report 11-12(7): Report On The Review Of Bill 25 - The Education ActBill 25: Education Act
- Committee Motion 70-12(7): To Add A New Clause 4.1 To Bill 25, Withdrawn
- Committee Motion 97-12(7): To Amend Clause 4 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 98-12(7): To Amend Clause 10 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 99-12(7): To Amend Clause 21 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 100-12(7): To Amend Clause 61 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 102-12(7): To Amend Clause 77 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 103-12(7): To Amend Clause 73 Of Bill 25, Defeated
- Committee Motion 104-12(7): To Amend Clause 79 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 105-12(7): To Amend Clause 118 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 106-12(7): To Amend Clause 118 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 107-12(7): To Amend Clause 126 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 108-12(7): To Amend Clause 136 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 109-12(7): To Amend Clause 151 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 110-12(7): To Amend Clause 151 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 111-12(7): To Amend Clause 151 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 112-12(7): To Amend Clause 151 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 113-12(7): To Amend Clause 151 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 114-12(7): To Amend Clause 151 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 115-12(7): To Amend Clause 117 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 116-12(7): To Amend Clause 117 Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 117-12(7): To Amend Preamble Of Bill 25, Carried
- Committee Motion 118-12(7): To Amend Preamble To Bill 25, Carried
- Item 20: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Appreciation To Family And Constituents
- Item 21: Third Reading Of Bills
- Bill 25: Education Act
- Bill 34: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1995-96
- Assent To Bills
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's too bad people aren't reading the legislation because it says clearly in section 71, "A district education authority shall, in accordance with the requirements of this section, determine the language of instruction to be used in the education district." It doesn't say the Minister shall do it. It says the district education authority shall do it. It's section 71.
But the district education authority must recognize that there are certain requirements and considerations. There is, of course, the matter of the numbers of students, whether or not you have the teachers -- and I made mention that the Baffin, along with the Keewatin, is successful with aboriginal teachers -- and that the materials are available. The language of instruction includes all languages. If you are doing K to 12 from now on or K to 3, it depends on the material that is available. If you have teachers who can teach trigonometry in Inuktitut, or calculus or biology or chemistry, with all the formulas included, then you can teach those subjects. That's a decision left up to the community. We determine the guidelines which safeguard the quality and encourage the use of the language. There are two elements. We don't determine this, it's the community now.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
The Chair Brian Lewis
Mr. Allooloo.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
June 22nd, 1995
Page 1566
Titus Allooloo Amittuq
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Section 72(1) reads: "The Minister may give direction establishing standards and guidelines for selection and use of language of instruction to ensure the maintenance of the highest possible standards of education." Does that apply to kindergarten, grade 3 and grade 5?
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
The Chair Brian Lewis
Thank you, Mr. Allooloo. Mr. Nerysoo.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Yes, Mr. Chairman, and we do it now.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
The Chair Brian Lewis
Mr. Allooloo.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
Titus Allooloo Amittuq
My understanding is that the community of Pond Inlet teaches in Inuktitut from kindergarten at least up to grade 2 and as a subject for the rest of the grades. Does the community council have to get the Minister's approval under the current act so the students can be taught from kindergarten to grade 2?
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
The Chair Brian Lewis
Mr. Nerysoo.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the current act, from kindergarten to grade 2, no there isn't the requirement to get approval. But they do require that the Minister set standards and criteria for the quality of the program. The clause that is now before you, clause 71, allows the district education authority to provide programming from kindergarten from grade 12. In other words, we've expanded the ability of the district education authority to have control of the language of instruction from K-12. That's what we're doing here. But the same quality assurances still remain. There are policies, policy directions, standards and guidelines. We have that authority now.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
The Chair Brian Lewis
Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Does anyone else want to speak to this issue? Ms. Mike.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister indicated earlier in his response to Mr. Allooloo's question that instruction shall be provided in schools only if the materials are available. Is that what he said?
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
The Chair Brian Lewis
Mr. Nerysoo.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Mr. Chairman, the materials have to, obviously, be available. But this clause deals with the teaching of every subject from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm in that language. It is for teaching math and biology without English; in other words, all in the aboriginal language or whatever official language you wish to use, like English. It is the teaching of those subjects in that language. That's what language of instruction means.
If, for instance, in the Gwich'in communities, we wanted to include Gwich'in as a subject -- in other words, we hire a language instructor for the development of students in that language -- that's a subject, it's not considered a language of instruction. They have to teach all the subjects in the language, as is the case in most of the communities.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1566
The Chair Brian Lewis
Ms. Mike.
Committee Motion 101-12(7): To Amend Clause 71 Of Bill 25, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1567
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I used to work with the Department of Education, doing evaluations of aboriginal languages, including all the dialects. What is the department doing now to assist in producing relevant materials in aboriginal languages?
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