Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Cost and Availability of Childcare
We heard that Bill 16 would negatively impact families by creating irregular childcare demands, e.g. professional development days throughout the year and after-school care for JK students. Although the government proposes that JK will fulfill its mandate commitment to explore options for free play-based care for four-year-olds, and that parents of JK students will be able to enter or re-enter the workforce sooner, costs, availability, and potential lost-work time remain stressors for families. Further, JK is not childcare. Childcare is outside the "education program" defined in the act, and so outside the scope of the bill, and though pre- and after-school care challenges many northern families, these fall to the government to address through its other mandate commitments, not to territorial schools.
Impacts on Teachers
We heard that Bill 16 would positively impact teachers. The NWTTA, as well as individual teachers, described significant challenges posed by excessive workload, limited resources, and the need for time within regular working hours to complete non-instructional duties, collaborate with other educators, and participate in professional development, all with the goal of enhancing their capacity to meet the challenges of 21st century classrooms.
Although many other witnesses felt Bill 16 was flawed, those same witnesses repeatedly emphasized their belief that territorial teachers play a vital role and must be supported. Where these witnesses presented alternatives, they largely suggested that the government must be held to its bargaining commitments, but that this should be done by hiring more teachers, not by reducing instructional hours. This appears consistent with Alberta's practices. In 2013, then-Premier Alison Redford capped teacher instructional time at 907 hours, stating in published correspondence that "Government is not willing to consider reducing the hours students spend learning to get a labour agreement."
Impacts on Students
We also heard that Bill 16 would negatively impact students, particularly that the proposed reduction in instructional hours would limit students' ability to complete Alberta's curriculum and reduce their post-secondary competitiveness. Given the territory's low attendance and graduation rates, some witnesses were also skeptical that reduced hours would serve students. On February 17, 2017, the department assured the House that no action on its part "would jeopardize the validity of a high school diploma." The committee takes the department at its word.
Comparisons with Alberta
Although the Northwest Territories and Alberta share a common curriculum, we know that a broad range of factors affect student participation and achievement. With more than 15 times as many students in the Alberta education system as there are people in the Northwest Territories, the scale of territorial operations alone is very different. Currently, in the Northwest Territories, students in grades 1 to 6 must receive at least 997 hours of instruction. Students in grades 7 to 12 must receive at least 1,045. Further, territorial schools vary in instructional hours actually delivered. Several witnesses described the importance of tailoring school calendars and practices to the unique needs of their communities. As with junior kindergarten, it is apparent that one size does not fit all.
In Alberta, students in grades 1 to 9 must receive at least 950 hours of instruction. Students in grades 10 to 12 must receive at least 1,000 hours. However, the province's "Moving Forward With High School Redesign" project has allowed roughly two thirds of Alberta high schools to spend more or less time on course material or instruction, as needed. Like our own schools, Alberta schools vary in hours actually delivered, and Alberta Education has not documented exact instructional hours in each one participating in the redesign. However, the province is tracking a suite of performance measures. These measures include high school completion, drop-out rates, diploma exam participation and performance, student/teacher/parent satisfaction, course completion, and intellectual engagement.
During the clause-by-clause review, an individual Member also proposed consideration of a potential compromise: to proceed with a 100-hour reduction to the statutory minimum for grades 1 to 9, but to set the minimum for grades 10 to 12 at 1,000 hours. This would match what is mandated in Alberta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will now turn it over to my colleague, the MLA for Nahendeh. Mahsi.