We are serious about qualifications, as well, for those professions that will be looking after our children, and junior kindergarten teachers obviously will be required to have the same basic qualifications as K to 12 NWT teachers. Most NWT teachers have a minimum of a Bachelor of Education degree, so that’s what we’re striving for, also the undergraduate degree in a specialized area, and a master’s degree. All junior kindergarten teachers will be required to be registered under the department’s ECE NWT teacher certification. The Member alluded to if there is going to be such training. All junior kindergarten teachers as well as kindergarten teachers of five-year-olds will receive training, resources, materials needed to deliver new NWT four to five-year-old kindergarten curriculum as early as this spring. In May and June 2014, those teachers will be identified by their educational authorities to receive such training. Another one will be offered, once we roll out the program in September, for those teachers that may be new to the NWT or have missed the spring session.
Those are just some of the areas that we will be conducting. We are looking at some of the schools as we realize the 29 schools do not have licenced child care programming, and we want to have those junior kindergarten with the kindergarten class, as well, because it’s play-based, and we’re going to have those qualified individuals working with them as teachers and then providing additional training that is required for those individuals so they can look after our children. We’re doing what we can to have those professionals in the field, and if we don’t have them then we’re going to provide that training.
Again, we are working with the college. This is over a three-year period and then on a long-term basis. We will be working closely with the college and with Health and Social Services and other agencies such as licenced child care operators and so forth. We will be providing those qualified teachers to look after our kids.