Page 8-25,
information item, Education and Culture, Active Positions.
Department of Education, Culture and
Employment, Activity Summary, Education and Culture, Active Positions, information item, (page 8-25), approved.
Debates of June 9th, 2008
This is page numbers 993 to 1058 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 2nd 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 education.
Topics
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Glen Abernethy
Moving on to 8-27, Activity Summary, Advanced Education and Careers. Mr. Hawkins.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. The
Minister alluded to a plan potentially coming forward having Aurora College in the Yellowknife campus area move to a stand-alone basis. Is this plan being developed now, or is it something that’s coming forward to the committee or Members for approval?
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jackson Lafferty Monfwi
Thank you, Mr.
Chair.
Within our department, we are always planning. So at Aurora College, the board of governors has indicated an interest in a new facility. At the same time we are, as a department, working with Aurora College and other schools on projects. So that’s why I indicated that these are all in the preliminary planning stages. That’s where we are at this point. Mahsi.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
So could it be best described as the project hasn’t really advanced very far, but the scope of the issue is still being developed?
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jackson Lafferty Monfwi
Mr. Chairman, if you were to recall — and also the committee — we did sign a new lease agreement up to 2012, so we do have some time to plan the next step up to that point. I’m not sure where exactly Aurora College and their negotiation is at this point with my department, but certainly it has been brought up to our department that there’s been some pressing needs for other projects that we’ve highlighted here. It’s an ongoing discussion with Aurora College at this point.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a question in regard to the wage subsidy program. I did want to express my appreciation to the
department for understanding the committee’s desire to have wage subsidies for apprenticeships be retained. My question has to do with wage subsidy programs for youth. It’s my understanding that youth are up to 29 years, and I wonder if the department had ever considered reducing that age. It seems a pretty old youth to me.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jackson Lafferty Monfwi
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. Certainly that could be taken into consideration within our department’s discussion, but I think we’ve been using age 29 for a number of years now. We’ll take that into consideration for our discussions. Mahsi.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Glen Abernethy
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. We’re on page 8-27, Activity Summary, Advanced Education and Careers, Operations Expenditures. Mr. Bromley.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Under Grants and Contributions, I see there’s adult literacy and basic education for $1.622 million and then, on the next page, 8-29, there’s literacy funding, $1.87 million, which is greater than the former. I also note there’s no change over last year for literacy funding contributions to organizations to deliver literacy programs.
My first question is: which organizations are being funded under the literacy funding contributions, there?
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jackson Lafferty Monfwi
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I can certainly provide the organizations that are funded. We do have Aurora College, NWT Literacy Council, Tree of Peace Friendship Centre, NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities, Native Women’s Association, Inuvik Centennial Library, Yellowknife Association for Community Living, Fort McPherson District of Education, Deninu Ku`e First Nation, Zhahti Koe Friendship Centre, Growing Together, Inuvialuit
Regional Corporation, Ingamo Hall
Friendship Centre, Northwest Territory Métis Nation, Chief Jimmy Bruneau School, Deline First Nation and also, Mr. Chair, 17 additional recipients under $10,000. That’s what we have before us. Mahsi.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Let’s choose Native Women’s Association. Could he tell me what the funding to Native Women’s — and I believe they specialize in adult literacy and basic education program — has been for the last couple of years and this year?
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jackson Lafferty Monfwi
The actual ’06–07 funding is $85,000. I’m not sure if we do have the breakdown of a number of years back. Apparently
it’s pretty consistent, but certainly we can provide that information, which we don’t have before us today. Mahsi.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
And ’06–07 is fine, so $85,000 last year and the year before and it looks like — can I assume it’s the same this year?
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jackson Lafferty Monfwi
In all likelihood it will probably be the same, depending on the contribution itself with the organization.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
This is an area where I have concern, because this is very much a front-line organization, an organization that’s connected with the people we really want to connect with for adult literacy and basic education. I know for a fact that organizations like this are very, very stressed. They are doing extremely important work; they are dealing with people who are disadvantaged and are accumulating disadvantages, but they’re at the table trying to get an education. This flat line of support….
Mr.
Chair, we had a national and international
specialist here who outlined the degree of return we can get on investments in literacy. I’d just very much like to highlight this as a concern. Small organizations like this that are dealing with these people that really need this help are where we should be bumping things up. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can keep that in mind and seek the opportunity to provide a bit of a tune-up for these organizations that have been at the same level for so long, when we know what’s been happening to costs. I’ll leave it at that. Thank you.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jackson Lafferty Monfwi
I appreciate the Member’s response in this particular area. That organization, the Native Women’s Association, along with others, do deliver programs that educate community members. It is important to have these organizations at the forefront of our ECE department and we’ll certainly take the Member’s comment into consideration. I think this is an area where we need to relook at the structure itself. Mahsi.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a question relative to the college contributions that’s on page 8-28 and 8-29. In both instances, it indicates an increase from the Revised Main Estimates of last year to the Main Estimates of this year. I wanted to know how the college is funded and how these contributions are determined, and whether or not there’s an increase in students between last year and this year.
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Motion 34-16(2) To Reinstate $110,000 For The Coordinator Assessment And Evaluation Position, Department Of Education, Culture And Employment, Under The Education And Culture Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Paul Devitt
Mr. Chairman, the college is funded on a contribution amount that is not based on enrolment. It’s based on the programs that the college funds, which has an element of enrolment but, unlike schools, the actual calculation isn’t based on enrolment.