Debates of Feb. 9th, 2021

This is page numbers 1843 - 1902 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in the NWT

NWT Climate Change Council

Midwifery Program

Minimum Wage and Top-Up Program

Northwest Territories Power Corporation Board

Diabetes Programs in Small Communities

Social Problems within Nunakput

Replacement of Chief Jimmy Bruneau School

Integrated Case Management

Access to Lands

Medical Detoxification

Eulogy for Susan Deneyoua

Eulogy for Maurice Edward Mendo

Committee Report 8-19(2): Report on Motion 5-19(2): Referral of Point of Privilege Raised By Member For Monfwi on March 10, 2020

Motion to Receive Committee Report 8-19(2) and Move into Committee of the Whole

Midwifery

Stimulus Funding for Small Remote Communities

Replacement of Chief Bruneau School

Northwest Territories Power Corporation Board

Diabetes Programs in Small Communities

Medical Detoxification Services

Point of Order

Minimum Wage and Top-Up Program

Integrated Case Management

Access to Lands

Point of Order

Tabled Document 299-19(2): Northwest Territories Energy Initiatives Report: Reporting on Actions under the 2030 Energy Strategy 2019/20

Tabled Document 300-19(2): NWT Climate Change Action Plan: Annual Report 2019/20 Tabled Document 301-19(2): Responding to Climate Change in the NWT: Plain Language Overview Report 2019/20

Tabled Document 302-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 481-19(2): Elders Housing Tabled Document 303-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 482-19(2): Hiring Local

Extended Adjournment of the House to February 23, 2021

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Finance - Deferral of Department (page 137)

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 75-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Finance - Deferral of Department (page 137), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 1869

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. Before I go any further, I am just going to reiterate that my Kam Lake colleague was correct in that I do also support the discussion around the elections and such that was mentioned and supports for their insurance. I think that is really important, that we continue to fund these. Where I go back to is that teachers tend to be miracle workers. If there is not the money within the funding or the budget to the schools, the teachers are going to be the ones who are going to go out and find the money elsewhere, whether it be out of their own pocket, or they are going to skimp on things that they need, or they are going to buy supplies for their own rooms instead of using that money elsewhere. Again, just more of a comment, just reiterating that this is an area, as well, that I would like to see beefed up. I think that the teachers are front-line support, and the school system is a front-line support, towards a lot of the mental health issues that I have raised already. I would like to see more increased funding and see the Minister go for more. Thank you.

Page 1869

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Page 1869

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. I appreciate the support. I think the Member is speaking the truth. Thank you.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Any further questions? No. All right, so I would move on to Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

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Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Madam Chair. We can look at the numbers and whatnot, but for me, I just have some high-level questions just to the effectiveness of how we are doing business in terms of education. I just want to ask a question to the Minister about graduation rates. I want to see. It ebbs and flows year over year for graduation rates, and we see really high numbers in terms of Yellowknife and our larger centres, but I was wondering if we could get some figures from the Minister for the last five years, just to know how we are doing in terms of graduation rates in small communities. Thank you.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. Graduation rates are one of a number of different measurements that we use. We also have assessments for younger students so that we can see how they are doing when they are younger. The Member is correct that across the board, from the assessments for younger students as well as graduation rates, the numbers are quite high in Yellowknife, high in places like Hay River and Fort Smith to a less degree, and then, there's a significant drop off for small communities. Perhaps the deputy minister might have some more details in terms of numbers. Thank you.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy minister.

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Mueller

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Minister. As part of our response to the OAG, the OAG had a recommendation that we re-look how we were calculating our graduation rates, and so we did respond. What we found out in all of our work in our correspondence with the OAG is that every jurisdiction in Canada uses a different formula of how they calculate their grade 12 graduation. However, we did align it more with the recommendations of what the OAG asked us to do. That's just a recent change. However, going back to providing our graduation statistics across all of our schools that graduate grade 12, we certainly can provide that to the Member as far back as the Member would like. Thank you.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, deputy minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Page 1870

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess that leads onto my next question. I know this probably really closely tied into attendance rates. If we could get that data, as well, see if there's a correlation between that and our graduation rates. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 1870

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. We will get that, and I'm sure there is a correlation. I'm not sure if the deputy minister has something to add to that. Thank you.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Mueller.

Page 1870

Mueller

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Minister. There definitely is a correlation. If students are attending school every day regularly, they're not only being able to be there for their actual instruction and lessons, but they get all the other supports that schools make available to them. We do find that the attendance rate does change as well by community by community. We have some schools that have very good attendance rates of, on average, over 85 or 90 percent of their student population, whereas other communities find that their students' attendance rates overall are around 75 to 80 percent. It really is something that we could provide. We do track that in our schools. Thank you.

Page 1870

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, deputy minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Page 1870

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you. Yes, I think it's important to find out, find some solutions. Work with our DEAs to figure out ways to keep our kids coming to school. There is only so much you can do. That means a lot of interaction with parents and that sort of stuff, so I think it's important that we go down that road. That's just a comment.

Just to switch up a little bit, I just heard some comments about insurance. That's back to one I'm familiar with. I've got some areas I'm familiar. I willing to offer my expertise in that, so if you need help with that, I'm very open to help you with that. Other than that, I don't have anything much to add, so I just wanted to touch upon the graduation rates. That's something that's really important to me in the small communities. Thank you.

Page 1870

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Did the Minister have any further comments?

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R.J. Simpson Hay River North

No, I appreciate the Member's advocacy. It's tough to get kids in school, and it's going to take a partnership with everyone. Families have to be involved. Communities have to be involved. The government has to be involved, and if we're not being involved in the right way, then we have to change that. Historically, the government hasn't always been involved in the right way in terms of school. Whatever we can do to make those changes, that's what we want to do. Thank you .

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.

Page 1870

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Chair. Inuit Child First is equivalent to Jordan's Principle. It's federally legislated and only has a five-year agreement to the federal government to the Inuit. What happens when that's not renewed in regards to that, the big picture in regards to the communities that should tap into that funding back home in the Beaufort-Delta? If that's not renewed, that's going to be devastating to the schools that we have up there. There's a thought to the Minister in regards to Inuit Child First program. Thank you.

Page 1870

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Page 1870

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, and we're always advocating for continuation of those programs. We recognize the money does flow into communities, so perhaps I could ask the deputy minister for some more detail? Thank you.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Mueller.

Page 1870

Mueller

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Minister. As everyone is aware, the applications for any of this funding is done individually by the education authorities. What ECE tries to do is to provide support, as much as we can, whether it's in the development of those applications, whether it's sharing success stories of, perhaps, one education authority has tried and seems to be successful, making sure that everybody is sharing their experiences with each other.

Also, offering in any way that we can liaison with these different services that the federal government have been providing. Just based on the applications, based on the conversations that our staff have had with education authorities and with the federal departments responsible for sponsoring this, we have not ever had an indication that this funding is going to end. That has not come to our attention or to the attention of our education authorities that we're aware of. That's where it stands right now. Thank you.

Debates of Feb. 9th, 2021

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