Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to the Minister and your colleagues from the department. One thing I want to make sure that we are continuing to remain focused on, especially as it relates to the bigger picture, is that our entire education system from early childhood education on through to post-secondary and, of course, onto adult education and lifelong learning is that we are developing a system that works toward aligning our education system with those things which we value as a society. I feel that that kind of has gaps in it. I think we are making genuine attempts when I see programs like Skills 4 Success and what have you, but I just feel that there are some rather large gaps. In particular, it's in the middle grades. I feel we're doing good things in early childhood. We've made a lot of improvements relating to junior kindergarten. A number of the programs I'll allude to in a moment are looking positive and successful, but somewhere in that middle ground, in around the grades of 8 and onward, we seem to be kind of almost losing a bit of grasp on our students. By the time they reach graduation, they're not fully aware or understanding of what it is that they want to do. I think that that has a lot to do with us failing to identify as a society what it is that we value so that we're unfortunately sending students out to education, or even into the work force, not fully able to contribute to society. A lot of times, students are just going to university or college or what have you to just kind of put in time. Often, after one semester, they're failing. A lot of it simply has to do with the fact that they don't have that sense of direction on what it is that they want to do with life. Those are the gaps that I am talking about that we have to find ways in which to fill and start shaping and moulding our kids at those middle grades.
Just to touch base on a couple of things from last year, I have reached out, as many other MLAs have, to education districts, and we have been receiving some fairly positive feedback with regard to programs that were implemented. One of them was the STIP Program. Most districts seemed to have positive comments about it. I would like to see, and I would look forward to seeing, some more of the outcomes, some more of the measurables and statistical information so that we can understand the benefits of the STIP Program a little better.
Apprenticeship and trades, this is a difficult area. I respect that. I come from the trades background myself, and in many ways, it has not changed. We are really trying to make some improvements, but we do need to make some fundamental change as it relates to the undertakings of apprenticeship and trades and technology. I think our partnerships with groups like NWT Skills Canada are positives ones, and those are the things that we have got to continue to do.
When we look at employment opportunities in the Northwest Territories, and in particular I would like to point a finger at areas such as the Sahtu Region, they are certainly going to be slowing down on oil and gas, but they have an opportunity to exploit reclamation and remediation opportunities there for another generation or more.
Giant is similar, on our front door here in Yellowknife. This is generational work, and we have got to find ways in which today it might be a father who might get a job there that is just labour-based, but then, that father's son needs to have a job that might put him into a supervisor's type of position, and the generation after that might have the opportunity to become an engineer. I want to see that kind of trajectory as it relates to how our generational skills are being broadened, not just labour opportunities generation after generation after generation. We have a lot of future infrastructure projects in the pipeline that can allow us to start thinking that way and taking advantage of those opportunities.
I will just touch quickly on innovation and technology, and what we are facing today. Obviously, this is a much faster-paced world that we are living in because of innovation and technology. If we are not taking advantage of the opportunities to take up lifelong learning, then certainly the world can pass us by. The discussions that we are starting to have more recently are around knowledge-based economy, expanding post-secondary opportunities, creating new governance for post-secondary models, and even consideration for things like centres of excellence. This is now the right time to continue that discussion. We are raising it at a critical time, and it is the time in which we want to put the right support, both with funding and resources, towards those types of discussions. They will be critical within the next 10, 15 years. If we do not keep up those discussions then, again, we are going to create gaps, and we will be left behind.
To the Minister's comments, I just want to make some highlights and points that I am in favour of. The $2.1 million for junior kindergarten, and in particular the inclusive schooling funding, is well-appreciated. I am looking forward to that being invested. Identifying that there were some inadequacies both in the student financial assistance as well as income assistance and putting a significant degree of funding towards that is a good improvement. Specifically, to junior kindergarten through grade 12, a renewal of the policy with regard to Indigenous language and education is something that we heard, talking to district educators, that they are going to appreciate. There are others already that talked about the child and youth care counsellor program, so I will leave that at bay for now.
As it relates to the foundational review with Aurora College, all I am really asking there now is, we are into it. Let's try to, at any cost, avoid delays, and you mentioned in your comments that there will be a strategic plan that stems from that. Again, I know how these things can take time and what have you, and we have got to do it right, but I think, for the interests of our students and post-secondary students, that we have got to be timely and work expediently on that.
Maybe what I will do at this point is I will jump ahead to the arts for a moment, because you have indicated that there is going to be a completion of a new four-year GNWT Culture and Heritage Action Plan. I raised it the other day with regard to a need for a review of the Arts Strategy. I hope that that is a piece of this. The Arts Strategy certainly is long overdue for a review. In the meantime, as many have indicated, and as the public has recently raised, there is definitely need for more support and resources for the arts. I certainly will be advocating during these deliberations for support for the NWT Arts Council, additional support, and also for the department to consider a touring grant in support of the arts. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Those are my comments.