Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Language Bureau
There are two issues of concern in addressing the Language Bureau. The first concern has to do with the privatization of interpreter/translator services. The second deals with the transfer of funding for language programming and development to language communities.
The department intends to transfer the funding associated with interpreter/translator services to the user departments. Departments will then be free to obtain these services from the private sector. The Minister has indicated there are already a number of contractors providing interpreter/translator services for the Language Bureau. He expressed confidence that the level of service would not decline. Many eastern Members have raised a concern about the privatization of interpreter/translator services. We believe that this issue is one which may need a different solution in Nunavut than in the western territory. In the west, Members seem more comfortable with the use of contract interpreter/translators. The biggest issue seems to be the need for standards and a registry of interpreter/translators to ensure the quality of the service. With seven different aboriginal languages in use in the west, a contract approach may be appropriate. However, in Nunavut, there are language issues relating to the use of Inuktitut in the post-division government. There is also only one aboriginal language used with any frequency and it is used by a large percentage of the population.
The Minister has indicated there are no cost implications associated with the privatization. Therefore, we believe there is time to develop a plan which will address the differing concerns.
Recommendation 7
The Standing Committee on Social Programs recommends that the Minister prepare a plan for interpreter/translator services which addresses the differing situations in the eastern and western NWT and provide that plan to the committee as part of the department's division plan in May 1997.
The transfer of funding to language communities has been raised by advocates for aboriginal languages and the Languages Commissioner in the past. This transfer places the responsibility for the development and promotion of aboriginal languages with the actual language communities themselves. The transfer is consistent with community empowerment and we are prepared to support this initiative.
Student Financial Assistance
In the area of student financial assistance, the committee has been asking for the report on potential changes for the past year. In the business plan, there is an indication that there will be program changes to save dollars. The Minister indicated that the department intends to make two short-term changes to the program for the coming fiscal year. The Minister has indicated that the two changes are:
1) limiting travel assistance to tickets valued at the equivalent of two weeks advance booking to the closest northern college campus or the nearest "point of departure"; and
2) suspending student financial assistance for a three-year period for students who are unsuccessful in meeting the minimum requirement of successful completion of 60 percent of a full post-secondary course load.
The Minister identified the specific changes to the committee in a letter dated February 10, 1997. We have not had the opportunity to discuss these changes in detail with the Minister, although his department did provide some background information to help us understand the existing provisions late last week.
We are generally supportive of the limitations on travel. However, we have two concerns. First, there are some cases where a student will pursue a course of study which is not available either at a northern college or in an educational institution in the student's point of departure. We believe there should be a provision to support student travel, when travel past the point of departure is beyond the student's control.
The committee does not support the second proposed change: the suspension of student financial assistance for a three-year period. We find this change to be far more punitive than the current arrangements. While we want to encourage all students on assistance to do their best, there are also a number of circumstances which could cause someone to have difficulty in a particular semester. Based on the information we received from the department, we also felt the change was inconsistent with the department's previous recognition that students might need a second chance to adapt to post-secondary schooling and some probationary options should be available.
The proposed change raised concerns for us including the following: - There should be a probationary period to support those who need an extra hand to adapt to the demands of post-secondary schooling.
- The change does not seem to recognize the difference between someone who just missed passing and someone who did very poorly on all their courses.
- There should be a recognition that mature students may only have a course load of 60 percent of full load in the first year. There is no flexibility for them to miss even one course as they adapt to being at school.
More comprehensive long-term changes will be proposed through a discussion paper to be released in February 1997.
We are looking forward to the discussion paper the Minister intends to table in February. We hope the Minister is considering the input and advice of a broad range of northern individuals in the development of that discussion paper. This will ensure that issues key to one segment of the population are not overlooked in drafting the paper. We also hope the Minister has advised all students receiving student financial assistance that he will be proposing changes in the near future. The committee believes consultation on these changes with the people most affected, the students, is essential.