Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. That number is relatively consistent because it is based on the school funding formula which is based on the number of students in the territory. And so that number hasn't varied greatly so that's why you see that consistency there. The Member is pointing out that, you know, there's often discussion about the need for more supports for inclusive schooling. And so the department is, early in the new government I understand, going be undertaking a review of their supports. You know, we've run into a number of issues. And as we face some of the labour market challenges and we can't get certain people in certain -- with certain qualifications in certain positions, we need to rethink how we provide services. And so if we can't get certain people into certain positions into a school, what else can we do? So, yes, we're very live to that, and that work will be happening early in the life of the next government. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm very happy to hear from the Minister that they're looking at new ways of doing this. One of the things that I find very frustrating is when you hear year after year after year there's a vacancy, we're waiting for someone to fill the vacancy. How long do you wait for someone to fill a vacancy before you start looking at new ways to do stuff? And so I'm really looking forward to this review. I think it's really important. I think a lot of kids depend on the services that they're just not getting right now.

I'm wondering if the Minister can tell us about any of the ways that -- and this might be too premature, and I can already hear the Minister's words in my head, but one of the things that some jurisdictions are doing is partnering up with universities in order to deliver some of these services in schools, and departments of education in other jurisdictions are actually taking on the coordination of this so that they are playing a more proactive role in getting rehab services into schools. I'm wondering if ECE is actively looking into that and maybe considering doing that in the following school year? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. So there are different ways of providing services in schools across Canada. Some jurisdictions do what we do and they partner with other departments. Other jurisdictions, the education -- the department of education will actually provide a lot of those, say health-related services like the Member might be referencing. And so we are looking at different ways of providing those services.

One of the things that we're doing is renewing the curriculum. And a lot of the services -- I guess, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to hand it over to the deputy minister, a former teacher who can better explain how inclusive schooling and all of these are related. Thank you.

Thank you. Deputy minister MacDonald.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So first I just wanted to start -- and I do apologize, if I'm repeating others. But the healthy food for learning program, great program. I can't say enough about having and helping kids have access to healthy food.

Given that we are seeing a high cost of inflation, which is affecting food prices, grocery prices, etcetera, and I've had actually people reach out about how important and more we need help here, I'm just wondering we're staying pretty stagnant; has there been any sort of assessment of, like, the needs of this program; is there more money that's going to be contributed; is it based on the funding formula, all of those types of things? So a little bit of information there. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. And this number has been very stagnant. I don't know if it's changed for the last decade actually. I do know that when I was in school, there was no food anywhere. And now when I go and I tour schools, there is food all over the place. There's apples. When you walk in the door, there's sandwiches in coolers that students can go get. So there is a lot more food. This is one area where schools receive funding. There's also the Breakfast Club of Canada and there's a number of other organizations that all contribute. That being said, I agree that this is very important and I would love to see this increased year after year.

What is currently happening is the federal government is looking at a national food program for schools and so we are -- yes, we are basically waiting to see what they're going to do, and then engage with them on that. So I'm very hopeful, and I think that the future is bright for food in schools. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know been a very very long week for all of us. That is great. I am not really reassured, though, by waiting to hear what the federal government says and what they're going to do in a national program. To me, again, people speaking to me that, you know -- or telling me, and even my mom's own, you know, history and experience as a teacher teaching grades 1 and 2, that when kids are showing up to school hungry they don't learn. And given that we're having such an issue in a lot of our sort of social programming areas and wellness areas, you know, in the North, I think this couldn't even be -- like, as much as it might be deemed to be adequate and you are seeing apples and bananas in classrooms, I would -- I can't believe it's adequate for 33 communities and all of the children that are -- that would be affected by this. So I just want to put in a plug for at least some inflationary increases or some extra money being found. And even if that means the kids are taking that extra food home at the end of the day, there's younger siblings at home, there's elders at home, it's not going to go to waste, so. More of a comment on that.

My next question is around the northern youth abroad. I know that obviously during COVID that was very difficult to have -- you know, have that program get executed. But, again, we're still seeing it fairly stagnant at around a $100,000. Given that we've had a lot of conversations with your colleague from MACA around opportunities for youth and children and really just how much, you know, having a chance to travel and see something outside of your realm, how important that is. I've only heard amazing things about the kids and youth coming out of this program.

Can the Minister speak to whether we can see or expect to see another increase coming there. Are there other areas that they access funding from the GNWT to support this program? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. And this is one organization that's receiving those inflationary increases so that's why they get the whole $2,000 more. And going forward, I expect that will stay. I understand they do receive funding from other departments I think more than we provide. And I agree. I mean, they provide great experiences. I can get the deputy minister to speak a bit more about this but I will say that from the anecdotal evidence that I've seen, that students benefit greatly from this and it is an amazing program. Thank you. To the deputy minister. Thank you.

Thank you. Deputy minister MacDonald.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I actually had an opportunity when I was in grade 11 or 12 to go to UBC Connect, which was very much the same thing, and even coming from Abbotsford, BC, which is not that small, it was still very overwhelming to come into Vancouver. So definitely I think that's wonderful, and I'm glad to hear it's not just about those specific programs or instances that I see on more advertised.

So my next question comes back around to the funding to the schools. So it's my understanding that due to the high cost or increases to insurance lately that the schools that the GNWT has agreed to insure the YK1 assets, etcetera, because they no longer can afford it themselves. But in the meantime, they have had to sign an MOU because to keep the schools maintained to the same level that the GNWT was already doing, and so that's because obviously the GNWT has a standard that they need to maintain and so the problem with that is that no extra funding has come to the YK1, and I'm assuming other school boards, to help them with this increased level of maintenance costs.

And in particular, in my riding is Sir John Franklin, which is now I understand experiencing huge issues around a pipe that's bursting repeatedly and there's problems there, and it's like a $30,000 fix, which now has to come out of the general coffers of the school board itself. So, you know, while I understand why the GNWT has made the schools commit to this level, they just financially can't do it. And, again, that comes back to the cut of programming and such is what we understand to make up this money.

So can the Minister speak a little bit to that. Is there an opportunity to use a trades program even, something, to reduce these maintenance costs to the schools for the crumbling infrastructure that they are also experiencing? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. And I know it's a different situation here in Yellowknife where the school boards predate the Government of the Northwest Territories and so they own their schools. It would be simpler if the government just -- oh no, sorry, not that school. You know what, maybe I'll just hand this over to Yellowknife's own Sam Shannon. Thank you.

Thank you. ADM Shannon.