Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. This is an area that we have worked closely with the federal government. As you know, they provide funding on an annual basis to both the Aboriginal language and French language, as well, on an annual basis. We will continue to work with them.

As the Member alluded to, sometimes it’s very difficult to change the overall act if they provide funding and we still have to engage with them, but we can provide the latest update to see where

we’re at. We’re hoping to introduce a bill for consideration during the life of the 17th Assembly,

working closely with the federal government and making this a reality. It was part of the SCOGO, I believe, recommendation that amalgamating the Revitalization Board and the Official Languages Board into one language board. That’s a target date that we have and we want to get it done during the life of this Assembly.

Thanks to the Minister for that update. That’s good to hear. I know there are difficulties with dealing with the federal law, so I’m glad to hear that it’s on the radar and hopefully it will happen in the next couple of years.

I wanted to ask the Minister a question about inclusive schooling. It’s been a hot topic in the last couple of weeks, but in the Minister’s opening remarks he spoke to the department is working with education authorities to improve the delivery of student supports provided under the Inclusive Schooling program, and at the end of the paragraph he said it will help us build a more effective evidence-based program.

I think I’d like confirmation, again, from the Minister, but I think the Minister and the department are finally starting to hear Regular Members and realizing that the Inclusive Schooling programming and the Inclusive Schooling funding formula are not doing the job that they should, and I’m really pleased to hear that there will be an evaluation of both of those aspects of our education program. I’d like to get confirmation from the Minister that, yes, that is happening and it’s going to be an in-depth review.

The other question I’d like to ask the Minister, again, is in questions earlier today I believe he said that the changes will not be ready for September 2013 at the start of that school year. I’d like to ask the Minister, as well as confirming that the review is underway, can we speed up this one section of the review so that changes to the Inclusive Schooling programming and funding can be effective September 2013.

This Inclusive Schooling is an area that we are going through some review process as part of the education renewal. As I stated before in this House already, the $26 million that we contribute to school boards and there is a reporting mechanism, but we really don’t know the numbers of special needs out there. That's an area that we need to identify to work with. Members have indicated that this whole Inclusive Schooling should be reviewed. Even the general public. So that’s what we’re doing now. I’ve made a commitment in the House by late fall, early winter, and if we can expedite one piece of work. It is a very complex document that’s before us. The $26 million is even complex, as well, so we’ll do what we can, but at this point I can’t really promise if it

will be delivered prior to the school year this fall. We’ll do to the best of our ability to deliver that, but one of the target dates, of course, is late fall and early winter. We’ll expedite inclusive schooling as much as we can in that regard.

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that it’s difficult, but if this one section of the review can be removed and sped up, I think that would certainly be well appreciated, I think, by all education authorities, and I think by the schools and by the teachers as well.

I do have a motion, Mr. Chair.

I move that this committee strongly recommends that the government take immediate action to reassess and redefine the distribution of Inclusive Schooling funding to recognize changing trends in the distribution of inclusive schooling needs across schools, and to ensure funding is allocated according to assessed needs of students so students requiring the support actually receive it;

And further, that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment provide adequate funding to education authorities for inclusive schooling to ensure early and ongoing diagnosis and assessment of students occurs and is completed within reasonable time frames. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I believe the motion is just being distributed right now. The motion is in order. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’ll just speak briefly to the motion. We have had a lot of discussion about inclusive schooling, and I think one of the things that this motion tries to address is that the current Inclusive Schooling funding does not work. Providing a percentage of funding according to population to schools is not recognizing that there are certain schools and/or certain authorities who have a higher need for funding for special needs students. It’s been suggested that maybe the funding should follow the student, and I’m not so sure that that’s the exact way to go, but certainly we need to have something that’s halfway in between the funding following the student and a percentage amount going to every school and every authority.

This motion is talking to that, about redefining or reorganizing and reassessing and redefining the Inclusive Schooling funding. It’s also talking, though, about providing funding to education authorities to properly diagnose and assess

students with special needs. One of the things that Members hear quite often is that it’s very difficult to get students diagnosed; it’s very difficult to get students assessed. There are two things in this motion. Those are the two, and I think that’s all I need to say.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion.

Question is being called. The motion is carried. Ms. Bisaro.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a question on a bit of a different topic. In his opening remarks, he talked about a statement: The department will implement and provide supports for a territorial safe schools plan along with anti-bullying legislation. The Minister has talked about safe schools. He’s talked about anti-bullying legislation and they are kind of referenced in the same breath sometimes. I would like to know from the Minister what is the difference between the safe schools plan and the anti-bullying legislation which is presumably on its way. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Currently, there was a motion brought forward by yourself, the Members in this House to look into possibly anti-bullying legislation brought forward within an 18-month time frame. That is an area that we have been working at since the motion was introduced. We are hoping to introduce that this coming spring session. That’s the time frame that we have. It does cover a broad area of anti-bullying legislation.

When I talk about the safe schools and the comprehensive plan that we are working on, there is a plan that we are working on on anti-bullying, working closely with the school boards and agencies and doing a lot of research in this area capturing what is in existence in the schools and building on that. If we can have a policy or legislation, anti-bullying legislation in general and then have the schools… We know that a lot of schools have their own policies, as well, and building on that. Those are just the two that we have introduced, unless I have my deputy maybe elaborate a bit more, if she has more detailed information, which I believe she has. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Ms. Eggenhofer.

Thank you, Ms. Eggenhofer. Before we continue with questionings, committee, we are going to take a quick five-minute break.

---SHORT RECESS

Okay, we will come back, committee. We will continue on questioning here with Ms. Bisaro. Go ahead, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi. We’re very excited about this fibre optic link that’s before us, and we’re hoping that 2014-2015, well, 2014 I guess, the deliverance of the optic. When we met with the Beaufort-Delta on the e-learning, there’s excitement in the air. We’re delivering programs that are not being delivered in small communities as opposed to larger centres. Not only that, but at the same time delivering language apps into the schools and language programming where we have an elder on another screen who can work closely with the students.

There’s so many ways that we can take advantage of the e-learning, the fibre optic link that’s before us. We are getting ready. We know it’s approximately a year and a half, two years from now. My department is working very closely with the school boards on what kind of programs can be delivered now, and we talk about various tools that kids and children play with, whether it be on-line programming, gaming, what kind of educational gaming and so forth.

So those are just some of the areas that my department is working closely on. I can get my deputy to maybe elaborate a bit more, just involving the school boards and potential programs that will be available. Mahsi.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Ms. Eggenhofer.

Thank you, Ms. Eggenhofer. Moving on with questions on this page I have Mr. Bromley.