Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am continuing with my Member's statement from yesterday. I want to talk to you about the Aboriginal Head Start program.
There has been a lot of information flying around the House, so let me give you a quick refresher. Aboriginal Head Start, or AHS, is a federally funded program with the mandate to serve preschool-age Aboriginal children. It was founded in the belief that children are a gift from the creator, who have the right to live proudly as Aboriginal people in the land of their ancestors. In 1995... [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, how does this relate to junior kindergarten, a GNWT-run program?
As it stands now, ECE's proposed rules would see schools get the option of either half-day or full-day junior kindergarten, with the other half-day meant to leave room for AHS. ECE has also suggested that AHS redesign their programming for children aged three years or younger.
For some communities, this partnership works well, with strong results.
For others, Mr. Speaker, it doesn't.
When we passed a motion on junior kindergarten back in October, we affirmed that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work and that ECE should accommodate existing programs. In Yellowknife and the other regional centres, that means working with the existing daycares and preschools. In our small communities, that means working with AHS.
Unfortunately, talks between ECE and AHS are moving into a non-productive "us versus them" stage.
I am not here to lay blame, Mr. Speaker, but instead to highlight the questions and concerns of my constituents. This must not be lost.
Supporters of AHS, including parents and educators, are worried. They are worried about changes to existing programs, they are worried about quality programs for Aboriginal children, and they are worried about AHS' survival when its federal funding ends in 2020, especially if four-year-olds are enrolled in junior kindergarten instead. Program changes to support younger children would not be easy or cheap, or even desirable. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted