Mahsi, Madam Chair. Obviously, when I talk about the passive restraint, we haven’t touched the school boards and also the Aurora College. More specifically to passive restraints, obviously it had an impact on our department, all the departments across the Northwest Territories. So I’ve been dealing with the school boards and the college on this particular subject, notifying them that we’re not going there at this time. I’ve respected that and I continue to work closely with the school boards at this level.
The whole ERI, Education Renewal and Innovation, obviously it’s a large initiative, it’s a huge undertaking and it will make drastic changes in the lives of our community members. It will be very beneficial. We’ve identified approximately $6.2 million of our initiatives. As the Member stated, it’s over and above the $150 million, yes it is, and we feel that it’s very important that we highlight some of the worthwhile initiatives within our department to continue implementing this very important piece of work that’s before us.
We’ve highlighted 2014-15, $2.4 million; 2015-16, $2 million; and 2016-17, $1.798 million. So that adds up to the three-year plan of $6.24 million. This is a priority for my department and also for this government, as well, and we’ve heard over and over from the Regular Members and even the forum, starting from Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative until today, that we need to improve our overall education system. That’s what we’re doing. We’re making changes to our Education Act; we’re making changes to our education programming across the Northwest Territories. We have not made any drastic changes over the last three decades within our education system, so this is very important piece of work.
We’re fully aware that Alberta is making some changes, as well, within their overall education system. So we’re closely monitoring their system as well.
Yes, we need to have clear communication dialogues when it comes to having some of the programs that have been identified that some of the community members may not be fully aware of, but we will be out there, we will be out to the communities, out to the regions talking about the whole Education Renewal and Innovation. We want that to be planted in everybody’s thinking. Even the kids need to be aware of what we’re planning and the changes. We’re also working with our partners across the Northwest Territories. The Literacy Council obviously plays a key role in developing an overall communication strategy, a plan to deliver plain speak language on the Education Renewal and Innovation. This is an area that we feel that we need to have plain speaking language on the Education Renewal and Innovation.
The AATs, obviously Alberta is going away with that. They’re doing another student assessment of their programming. Again, we are working very closely with them and how it’s going to look for the Northwest Territories. We are developing some areas of initiatives in that respect as well. As I stated before, the education system within Alberta is also changing, so both Alberta and the Northwest Territories are on the verge of overhauling our education system for the betterment of our jurisdiction.
Those are just, I believe, the key points that I wanted to address on the Member’s comments.