This is page numbers 3387 – 3412 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th 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

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

I would love to hear from the communities, ideas and suggestions on how we can improve our overall education system. We are currently at the framework stages and are engaging the stakeholders to develop an action plan. That will be tabled in this House in the February/March session. Even after that, it is a working document. We are always making change to our policies. We are always making change to our programming. I will be open to those ideas that can benefit the North. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. While I know it’s probably impossible for

the Minister to be in each of our 33 communities, can he commit to at least participating in the roll-out at least once in each region or at least make as many appearances as possible? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

With the overall engagement of the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, I’ve been to every region, participating in two or three-day sessions. Particularly this one is very important to me and also working with Health and Social Services. We will be going to those communities and engaging those participants and sharing their ideas and suggestions, so we will make every effort to be in attendance at those forums. We are committed as a department. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Colleagues, before we move on today, I’d like to welcome our Information and Privacy Commissioner Elaine Keenan Bengts to the House.

---Applause

Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the Education Renewal Initiative. For some reason, as I’ve raised in this House many times before, it seems it’s our educators on the front line who are discouraged from expressing their opinion on a lot of things, and for what reason, I do not know because I would say they are in the best position to help us put together the best policies and practices to educate our children. I’d like to, for the record, ask the Minister if there was extensive consultation directly with educators for this Education Renewal Initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I don’t like the word consultation; I like the word engaging. We have engaged with our stakeholders and they are part of the educators, the principals, the program coordinators. The Member is referring to front-line workers. I totally agree with her that we need to get ideas from those individuals. If we have missed out on those individuals and their input, I would like to hear from them either through my office, through my department, through DEAs, DECS, various partners that we have in the field. We’d love to hear from them. So, Mr. Speaker, if we have missed out on those certain individuals, by all means, I am open to those suggestions as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

As a government, we come up with new initiatives from time to time; maybe all the time, I’m not sure. The Minister has made mention of the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative and now this, with the Education Renewal Initiative. We have heard some pretty dire statistics on the preparedness of students and even ongoing statistics. I would like to suggest to you that those statistics are not prevalent in all communities, in all schools and in all regions. I would say those statistics do exist, but I would say there are schools where there is a lot of success.

I just opened the inside page of the Hub today, and the Parent Action Committee has taken out a full-page ad to illustrate the achievement of the high school students in Hay River. Mr. Bouchard and I had the opportunity to attend the end-of-session assembly at one of the other grade schools in Hay River. The kids that were going up there that we were giving out medals and awards to for achievement in their academics and sports and everything else, was just amazing. The results of these tests in Hay River, I must say – and I’m not trying to put anybody else down or trying to brag here – but the results of these achievement tests in Hay River have just been skyrocketing. It’s just amazing.

This initiative, is this going to make everybody do things differently or could it be targeted to those areas where most needed? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

The Member is correct; there are success stories in other regions as well. The South Slave’s literacy coach has been very successful to date. The Phoenix School is another one that’s been highlighted on numerous occasions, as well as Beaufort-Delta e-learning. There are all of these success stories. Of course, we are integrating into education renewal as well.

Of course, we’ve listened to the parents and educators and they’ve told us to focus on those individual communities that are struggling. That’s what we are doing right now, based on their input, their feedback. So, what the Member is referring to, this is our approach and we will continue to move that forward. Mahsi.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you. I’m very happy to hear the Minister say this will not be a broad-sweep approach, because sometimes when the Department of Education comes out with new initiatives, they expect all teachers to take some new approach and best practices and basically have to revamp the way that they are educating the students in their classrooms and sometimes it’s more disruptive than helpful, to tell you the truth. At least from what I hear from them.

If we’re not going to take the broad-brush approach to the implementation of this Education Renewal Initiative, I would like to ask the Minister by what

means are they going to establish the areas that need to be targeted to bring all regions and all schools up to a standard that’s acceptable. Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi. Focusing on the communities and also the regions, again, we have to work closely with the district education authorities and the councils. They have given us positive feedback on the success stories, as the Member is referring to, and focusing on the small communities. One of the pillars is focusing on small communities, staff development and student assistance. As we roll out the action plan, it will be captured, focusing in certain areas that require attention.

The Member is asking about the broad sweep and the particular focus. Those are discussions that we’ve had throughout our engagement. I’m looking forward to delivering this action plan in this House and rolling out the program in the communities. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Included in this rollout, will there be a defined reporting, monitoring, so that we can see what this new initiative is accomplishing? We need to measure the outcomes of these things that we roll out and that we initiate. So I’d like to ask the Minister, will that be clearly included in this initiative so that we can be reported back to on how it is affecting the statistics. Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi. Yes, the monitoring, evaluating and also the measurement of how the program will be running as far as the implementation and rolling out the program. So we will be keeping standing committee up to speed and engaging them as we roll out the program, short-term and long-term. So, yes, I agree with the Member that we will be monitoring this whole evaluation. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today will be for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation. In 1989 the Power Corporation moved its head office to Hay River. We’re awfully proud of that facility in Hay River.

My question is that the positions in the Hay River headquarters office have been floating slowly over to Yellowknife and other locations. I know there are currently 70 positions in Hay River, but I’m wondering if the Minister can answer how many positions are currently located in Yellowknife.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Roughly about 45, I believe. Thank you.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

I am concerned with that large a number. I think the number is somewhere between 45 and 50 and I’m wondering why there are so many positions such as engineers, safety specialists that are currently in Yellowknife when Hay River is the headquarters for the NWT Power Corporation.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

The majority of those positions are tied specifically to the operation of the Snare system and, of course, the Jackfish plant and Bluefish, as well, in the larger service area that we do have. Thank you.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you. With decentralization as a priority for this government, will the Minister commit to reviewing these positions and making sure that none of those positions currently could be located in Hay River?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you. I have a note here from the president and one of his comments is they are in fact struggling to fit everyone in on the second floor of the Hay River head office building where engineering is located. But, yes, we will commit to make sure that all the positions in Yellowknife are required and, of course, being from Fort Smith where we have almost no NTPC presence…

---Interjection

---Laughter

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

I can feel the love.

---Laughter

We will endeavour to make sure that all the positions are appropriately located. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.