Thanks to the Minister and I absolutely agree with the Minister that this needs to be looked at, but we were told that this was going to be looked at some months ago. The fact that it’s rolled into the Education Renewal Initiative confuses me and makes me somewhat apprehensive. The Minister is tabling that Education Renewal Initiative document this afternoon. So I don’t understand how we can roll the inclusive schooling evaluation into a document that’s about to tabled. Can the Minister explain that? Thank you.

Mahsi. Currently we deliver inclusive schooling through the school boards and through their formula funding, upwards of $26 million above and beyond what’s legislated.

So it is $7 million beyond what we’re legislated. The school board is at the discretion of using those funds as well.

So we work closely with the school boards on identifying, and there’s also a ministerial directive on inclusive schooling to make sure the money is well expended in those areas. When I refer to the education renewal, education renewal is very broad, changing the whole educational system. The inclusive schooling will be captured as part of the renewal process. If we’re going to change our Education Act, it will be part of the process as well. Again, reiterating the legislation that’s before us through this Assembly and we’ll continue to push that forward within our initiatives. Mahsi.

I’m still confused and I’d have to say, and I spoke in my statement and I need to tell the Minister this is not working. From the perspective of school boards here in Yellowknife, but also other school boards in the territory, the Inclusive Schooling Program funding that they’re getting is not working.

I want to know from the Minister will he commit to doing a study of inclusive schooling funding and a study of the Inclusive Schooling Directive and make some revisions? Thank you.

Mahsi. Those are some of the areas that we are currently collecting data, the stats from the school boards. We need to identify what’s working and what’s not working. I fully agree with the Member that we need to re-evaluate inclusive schooling within our school system. This is an area where my department is working very closely with the school boards and we need to fix that issue, some of the areas that need enhancement. So those are key areas we are looking for. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to say to the Minister I heard the same words from the Minister about, well, we need to do this and we’re going to do this. I heard that many months ago. So I’m not very pleased that we are going to be “starting over again from zero.”

I’d like to ask the Minister how he is going to ensure that the money that is required for specific students gets to those students that need it most? Thank you.

Mahsi. We’re not starting from scratch. We’ve collected information and we are moving forward on this. It’s an education renewal. We’ll certainly capture that as well. But at the same time, we are collecting that information. We always use the best practices as well from across and so forth.

This particular inclusive schooling has garnered a lot of attention within our department and we will continue to improve in those areas. Again, we have to work with our partners, the school boards, the DEAs and DECs. Mahsi.