Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An interesting suggestion was made by a few presenters during the hearings regarding the fines for non-attendance. The suggestion was that the fine money be returned to the local district education authority to assist in developing programs locally which would encourage children to come to school. The committee agreed with this suggestion.

Recommendation 4

The Standing Committee on Legislation recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment review this suggestion to determine if there is an effective and economical way of returning fine revenues to the education body which generated those revenues.

Student Records

During the public hearings, the area of student records received a fair amount of attention. There was a lack of clarity in what is included in a student record, how items are placed on or taken off a record, and a general concern about confidentiality. The Minister assured the committee that these questions about process and detail will be addressed in the regulations, yet to be drafted.

Student Conduct

In keeping with the partnership approach to education, the section on developing school rules was amended during committee meetings. The revised section now includes parents, school staff and students in the process for establishing school rules.

Student Suspension

Two amendments were made during committee meetings to address concerns raised by the public. First, there was an amendment to clarify the potential role of the superintendent as a third party in trying to find other options for a student before they are expelled. Second, an amendment clarified that, even if a child is attending school under a court order, the suspension section is still applicable to that child.

Part II - Education Staff

Recertification Of Teachers

There were many concerns across the north about the quality of instruction and the need for teachers to maintain a certain level of professional standing. These concerns included graduates from the teacher education program, as well as teachers with a bachelor of education degree. Most suggestions centred on a five-year recertification period. As a result, the bill was amended in committee meetings to allow for recertification. The actual requirements for recertification will be detailed in the regulations.

Role Of Teachers

Two amendments were made to the bill to clarify the role of the teacher. The first amendment specifically states that teachers will teach in accordance with the curriculum. The second amendment places responsibility on teachers to undertake professional development rather than just attempting to do so.

Board Of Reference

The proposed act included a board of reference for reviewing cases of teachers who felt they had been wrongly dismissed. At the suggestion of the NWT Teachers Association, an amendment was made in committee meetings to remove the board of reference and stay with a single adjudicator.

Principals

In the east, a presenter asked whether the legislation would allow a school to appoint co-principals. An amendment was made in committee meetings allowing the appointment of more than one principal in a school.

There seemed to be confusion during the public hearings regarding the five-year terms for principals. In addition to general concerns about how this would affect the decisions of principals nearing the end of their term, there were also many questions about whether a principal could be appointed for additional terms. The bill was amended in committee meetings to clarify that principals can be re-appointed for an unlimited number of additional terms of up to five years.

Mr. Speaker, I will ask Mr. Allooloo, my honourable colleague, to carry on from this point. Thank you.