Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Shane Clark. I can’t really see if he’s still up there, but Shane is the proud father, I know, of a couple of our Pages here, twins Sophie and Grace Clark. Welcome to the House.

I’d like to also, at this time, express appreciation to our Pages once again for all the service they’ve provided during this very busy session. Our long-suffering Pages in particular from Weledeh, besides Sophie and Grace we’ve also had Shiri MacPherson, who is the daughter of our Law Clerk, Sheila MacPherson. We’ve also had Niva Stephenson and Jacob Schubert. Again, thank you very much. And that could be Hannah Schauerte up there, as well, and I’d like to recognize her. It was a pleasure to be able to speak to her today.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize some Pages. I didn’t get an opportunity yesterday to recognize Anne Thomas. I don’t think she’s working here today, but there are a number of Pages from Frame Lake. Anne is one of them. Today I believe we have working here for us Jeff Harbin and Aaisha Hashi, and I’d like to compliment them on the work that they’ve been doing for us for the last, what, three weeks, I guess.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to also recognize two Pages from Hay River that have been helping us out in the Legislative Assembly this week: Hannah Courtoreille and Tori Blake. I’d like to thank them for good work.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Also, I’d like to welcome my first cousin, Mr. Cameron Wolki-Jacobson, sitting as a Page, from Inuvik. Welcome, Cameron, and thank you for all the hard work that you’re doing.

I’d like to welcome here a good friend of mine, Mr. Jai Zachary from Summerland, B.C. He’s visiting us here for a few days in Yellowknife. Welcome to the House, Jai.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement earlier today with questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment specifically related to the Education Renewal Initiative. I’d like to focus on the latest research on how our children are doing. We have been testing young children approaching school age with a test called the Early Development Indicator. Could the Minister confirm that the latest data from the Early Development Indicator work is showing that 35 to 60 percent of children approaching school age in our smaller communities have development delays that may cause a reduced capacity to learn?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Those are some of the assessments that we have conducted throughout the Northwest Territories, working very closely with Alberta Education. As part of the process, of course, we need to find out where the students are at. There are some challenges, as the Member alluded to. Due to that reason, we have developed two of the biggest files, the Early Childhood Development Framework, along with the action plan being developed, and also the Education Renewal Initiative and Innovation Framework and action plan to follow, which involves those DEAs, NWTTA and other parties from the Northwest Territories, so we can make this an effective mechanism for early learning, and then also for the students across the Northwest Territories.

Sad news indeed. I know we want to work on those statistics and improve them. The latest research shows that development of the brain and its neural pathways are largely established by age three.

How does this scientific evidence compare with the Minister of Education’s understanding of how a child’s mind develops and how does he think this evidence should change the way we educate our children or assist them in development? Mahsi.

We have conducted various research across our great country of Canada, even outside, internationally. What the

Member is referring to is some of the research that he would have on his file, if he can share that with us as well. We have all these different research that we conducted through our engagement with the committees as well. We have to try and use the best practices that are out there available to us instead of reinventing the wheel or the challenges that we are faced with today. In my view, we have all those documentation, the data, the stats. Now we need to move forward and develop an action plan towards that. That’s what we’re focusing on with our partners across the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the data are crystal clear. The research is crystal clear. Brain development primarily takes place by age three and development of the neuro pathways takes place by age three, so the focus needs to be in the ages zero to three. Research is also showing that starting kindergarten at age four with junior kindergarten does not provide net benefits to learning over normal kindergarten programs, as my colleague Ms. Bisaro has outlined.

Given this evidence, does the Minister agree that, because the most important brain development occurs from age zero to three, that establishing junior kindergarten for four-year-olds is not the best investment to improve the mental development of our young children? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, again, there are other research. We also have research from different jurisdictions as well. With some of the research, whether it be internationally or nationally, one we have specifically is on a UK study, Effective Provision of Pre-school Education, a large long-term study. A year more of early childhood education makes a big difference to children. These are just some of the areas that we continue to focus as part of Education, Culture and Employment. It is not only my department, I’m working very closely… We even partner with the Department of Health and Social Services because we want this to be an effective mechanism that we can deal with early learning as well. Ages zero to three, of course, would have to fall under Health and Social Services, so we are partners in that.

We are very serious about these challenges that we’re faced with and we are developing an action plan to deal with those matters. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. ECE is the lead on our early childhood development. I’m pleased to see the progressive approach of the Education Renewal Initiative in addressing new ways of learning in today’s world. However, with so many children entering the system with a reduced capacity to learn, it is clear that we must have

success with early, zero to three, childhood development first.

Does the Minister agree with this analysis and will he commit to making a vigorous NWT-wide Early Childhood Development Program the number one priority of this initiative? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, the Early Childhood Development Framework will be capturing that. It is very serious to our department and with the Health and Social Services, so we will continue to push that forward in this House and in the Northwest Territories across the board. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. When we’re talking about devolution, we’re talking about resources, we’re talking about expanding our Northwest Territories, having our own power, but I think the most important resource is, of course, our people and our children and them learning as well. We all know, and it has been shown, that student performance in small community schools has been nothing short of appalling.

Can the Minister provide assurance that this education renewal will address these very specific shortcomings and what will they be? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy. Sorry, Mr. Menicoche. It sounded like a question for Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I will certainly take that question. The Members referred to how parental involvement can happen along with Educational Renewal and Innovation Initiative. Those are just some of the areas that it’s captured, part of the recommendations that will be coming forward and action plan. Through engagement with the Members and also the communities, regional groups, organizations, it is through their voice and input that they want us to improve the overall education system. So that’s what we are planning to do. In February during the session, I will table a document that highlights an action plan that clearly captures what the Member is referring to, and roll out the implementation. I am very much looking forward to it. We will be rolling out the program. Mahsi.

Straight from the record, as health and social services. The questions were

directed to the Minister of Education. Just further to rolling out the plan, I will ask the Minister how he will be rolling out the plan in regions and communities. In my constituency we have six small communities and I’d like to ask the Minister, is part of the plan to go to each of those small communities and roll out this plan. I think it’s very important for them to hear from the students, hear from the parents and hear from the teachers that are on the front lines in the small communities. Thank you very much.

It’s very important that we involve the communities, the parents, the educators and the leaders of the communities. During the engagement process with the Aboriginal Student Achievement at the initial stage, that’s when we have the public forum in all regions, similar to what we have conducted with the education renewal process, engaging the parents and the educators. Once we start rolling out the program in six of the communities the Member is referring to, and other communities, as well, we must engage those parents. We must engage educators and the leadership, so we have to work through the DEAs and DECs. All those partners are involved and engaging the communities. That is the overall plan. I have to make sure that it’s happening, as Minister responsible for Education. We need to reach out to those individuals. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I’m glad that the Minister agrees with me that it certainly is a must. I’d like to know when he rolls it out, I know they already have a plan and a strategy in place, but should there be some unique ideas out there, are the department and the Minister willing to amend their plan. I heard one parent in my constituency talking about what students are being taught is not what they’re expected to learn, which means that they are failing the Alberta achievement exams because what they are being taught is not the standard.

How will the communities, how will the parents, how will the teachers effect change as this rolls out, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.