Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Lafferty on February 8, 2007, to the Honourable Charles Dent, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding learning centres in the Tlicho region.

1. Since its inception, how many ABE students have attended the Aurora College program in Behchoko?

From September 1989 to February 2007, there have been 48 full-time students and 160 part-time students in the Adult Literacy and Basic Education -- ALBE -- program.

2. How many of these students have completed their program? How many have received certification? At what level are these certifications?

ALBE upgrading is an ongoing process. After academic assessment is completed, students are enrolled in ALBE and set up with individual education plans. Since upgrading is not a certification course, students do not "complete a program." Rather, they complete levels. All 48 full-time and 160 part-time students have been set up with individual education plans.

3. What programs besides ALBE have been offered to help those students currently in the workforce or who are wishing to upgrade their skills to enter the workforce?

In 2006, the Community Education Preparation Program -- CEPP -- and Teacher Education Program -- TEP -- Access were first offered at the Monfwi Community Learning Centre in Behchoko. The students registered in these two programs do not have a background in teaching. The purpose of these programs is to increase the number of aboriginal teachers. By offering these courses in Behchoko, we hope to increase the number of teachers who will remain in the Tlicho region to work.

Other programs that have been offered to assist students to enter the workforce were: Camp Services; Business English I; Office Procedures I; Business English II; Office Procedures II, in 2003-2004; Camp Cook; Introduction to Computers; Proposal Writing; Dogrib Language 140 and 150, in 2004-2005; and Introduction to Food Preparation; Driver Education; Airbrakes; Standard First Aid, in 2005-2006.

4. The college has cited attendance being a challenge with this program. What was the average rate of attendance for this program on a yearly basis?

In the communities, Aurora College has a better attendance rate with programming that is shorter in duration and where certification is received. Examples include the Standard First Aid and Driver Education Class 7 programs.

ALBE has an ongoing intake and is based on individual education plans. The average attendance rate per program is not available because student attendance is recorded course by course, at the community level. This information is not entered into the student record system that is part of Aurora College's database. Students typically attend programs on a part-time basis.

5. What was the average rate of attendance per program for September to December 2006?

The average attendance rate per program is not available because student attendance is recorded course by course, at the community level. This information is not entered into the student record system that is part of Aurora College's database. Students typically attend programs on a part-time basis.

6. Has the Department of Education or Aurora College investigated why attendance has been a problem in this program? Have they met with community leaders to develop an action plan? When and how many meetings? If not, why not?

Although attendance isn't tracked -- see number 5 above -- the college has heard from instructors that it tends to be lower than expected. In following up on this, the department and Aurora College have queried instructors in other centres and have found that there appears to be a similar trend in lower-level ALBE program attendance across the NWT. While we don't have all the reasons yet, students in lower-level ALBE courses may not have the financial resources to attend on a full-time basis and may have other challenges that keep them from attending courses. As a result, the department and the college have been reviewing and updating the curriculum.

Aurora College conducted exit surveys with all students upon their withdrawal from the program. A review of the reports from Behchoko indicates that the primary reasons for withdrawal includes:

• • finding employment;
• • lack of student funding;
• • difficulty in finding day care or childcare;
• • student transferred into other training programs on offer; and
• • personal reasons.

In Behchoko in particular, department and college officials have met with community leaders several times over the past few years to discuss programming options.

In 2003-2004, the CLC in Behchoko held a series of lunchtime meetings to discuss the challenges related to ALBE and to explore program offerings. Community agencies and band council members were invited to meet with Aurora College staff, including the campus director and the chairperson of community programs.

In February 2004, a meeting was held to discuss Tlicho community needs. In attendance at the meeting were the Yellowknife campus director, the Aurora College board member for the North Slave, the chairperson of community programs, and two representatives from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The meeting identified as a priority the need to prepare students for further education and specifically for the TEP. As a result, the CEPP was developed.

In addition to the partnership in program delivery, Aurora College has entered into an agreement with the Tlicho Training Committee to assess the academic education levels of Tlicho Government employees and to help

develop individual education plans for these employees, thereby allowing them to work towards attaining certified education and training. It is anticipated that ALBE programming will play a major part in the assessment process and development of individual educational plans.

7. What changes has the college made to improve the level of programming in Behchoko?

CLCs are funded to deliver ALBE programming. In the North Slave communities, Aurora College works with the Tlicho Government; the Government of the Northwest Territories; employing agencies, both in and out of the communities; and community residents to offer relevant training programs.

Aurora College has been using labour market funding to deliver skill-based courses in addition to ALBE as a means to bring more ALBE students into the CLC. Examples of such courses include: Camp Services; Business English I; Office Procedures I; Business English II; Office Procedures II, in 2003-2004; Camp Cook; Introduction to Computers; Proposal Writing; Dogrib Language 140 and 150, in 2004-2005; and Introduction to Food Preparation; Driver Education; Airbrakes; and Standard First Aid, in 2005-2006.

The college has also made significant changes to improve the programming delivered in Behchoko. In response to community requests for such programming, the college has developed and delivered the CEPP that is now in its second phase. The TEP Access Program is being offered from September 2006 onwards. In addition, the college is committed to deliver year one of the CEPP in Behchoko in fall 2007-2008.

Securing classroom space is an issue in Behchoko. Prior to the fall of 2006, the adult educator provided ALBE instruction in the smaller of the two Monfwi CLC classrooms, while CEPP was delivered in the larger classroom. However, when space for delivery of the TEP Access Program could not be found in the community, CEPP took over the second classroom and the adult educator was, therefore, required to use her office to offer ALBE instruction on a one-on-one basis. This is a temporary solution to the lack of available classroom space. The college is working closely with the Tlicho Community Services Agency to locate additional space for fall 2007-2008.

8. Will the department conduct a review of the current Aurora College programming in Behchoko including courses being offered, evaluation of instructors, relevancy of the programming, et cetera?

Aurora College carries out internal reviews of its instructors, courses and relevancy of programming on an annual basis. Instructors are evaluated annually according to the GNWT's performance appraisal process and related policy.

Program reporting that includes reference to course offerings in each CLC is undertaken on an annual basis and reviewed by the chairpersons of Developmental Studies and Community Program, respectively. Program reviews are completed annually in consultation with the Tlicho Education and Training Committee.

As a follow-up to the February 2004 meeting on Tlicho community needs, the college shared its findings with the community and set programming priorities in accordance with outcomes identified at a follow-up meeting in April 2004. As well, Aurora College has focussed its programming on the delivery of the CEPP, TEP Access Program and Aboriginal Language and Cultural Instructor Program. In regard to academic upgrading, the college has secured additional funding to provide the requested skills-based courses. Aurora College is committed to its partnership with the Tlicho Education and Training Committee to ensure future programming will continue to meet community needs.