Yes, I do, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, committee, I am here to present the 2021-2022 Main Estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $13.3 million, or 3.9 percent, over the 2020-2021 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.
Highlights of the proposed estimates include forced-growth funding of $4.3 million, including:
- an additional $4.1 million to address the increased demand on the Income Assistance program; and
- $222,000 to establish two student records coordinator positions, each with a two-year term, to handle record requests related to the Federal Indian Day School Class Action Settlement.
The proposed estimates also reflect a total increase of $2.591 million to support new initiatives. This amount is comprised of:
- $1.17 million to expand senior secondary Northern Distance Learning program in 20 small communities;
- $508,000 to establish three regional based career and education advisor positions to enhance post-secondary awareness and employment opportunities for grades 9 to 12 students;
- $306,000 to support the modernization of the Education Act;
- $265,000 to support the development and implementation of competency-based professional standards for JK to 12 educators, to improve educators' certification process, and to increase opportunities for educators to access online professional collaboration;
- $177,000 to support the quality assurance requirements needed under the Post-Secondary Education Act; and
- $165,000 to continue phase 3 and undertake phase 4 of the NWT school and community child and youth care counsellors program.
The proposed estimates also reflect a total increase of $8.893 million for other adjustments, which include:
- $4.255 million to continue supporting JK to 12 schools in remaining open during the pandemic;
- $1.088 million to implement two new benefits to support post-secondary students in their technology needs during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- $774,000 to increase the valuation allowance provision of the Student Loan Revolving Fund;
- $711,000 to provide additional funding for minority and second language education programs in accordance with the newly signed Canada-NWT Cooperation Agreement;
- $600,000 to support labour market recovery efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the NWT;
- $600,000 to fund the development of an Indigenous Languages Adult Immersion Diploma in partnership with Aurora College, the University of Victoria, and Indigenous governments;
- $500,000 to continue an infrastructure fund to assist early learning and childcare programs with a cost of property improvements or new construction needed to offer new or expanded licensed programming; and
- $365,000 to maintain 12 multi-person family housing units for Aurora College in Inuvik.
These increases are partially offset by a total decrease of $2.299 million reflecting funding scheduled to sunset on March 31, 2021. The sunsets reflect year-over-year changes and departmental activities in Northern Distance Learning and Northern Studies expansion; time limited funding of Aurora College Housing in Inuvik; time limited funding of a student records coordinator position; as well as redirection of Child and Youth Care Counsellors implementation funding from ECE to Health and Social Services.
These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly by:
- implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through continued support for Indigenous language revitalization initiatives;
- advancing universal childcare by increasing availability and affordability by continuing to implement the actions identified in the Right From the Start: A Framework and Action Plan for Early Childhood Development in the NWT 2013-2023 and the Early Learning and Childcare Canada-NWT Bilateral Agreement and Action Plan;
- increasing student education outcomes to the same level as the rest of Canada through increased opportunities in all NWT small schools through Northern Distance Learning, and the implementation of an action plan that responds to the Education Renewal and Innovation Framework Evaluation 2020 and the Office of the Auditor General of Canada Report on Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education in the NWT 2020;
- enabling seniors to age in place with dignity by increasing the Senior Home Heating Subsidy and creating a separate Income Assistance program tailored to seniors and persons with disabilities; and
- transforming Aurora College into an accredited and independent polytechnic university by continuing to develop the polytechnic university implementation plan.
That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you.