Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Standing Committee on Social Development has advocated for improvements to education in the Northwest Territories over the life of the Assembly. While Bill 81 represents just phase 1 of the department's proposed improvements to education, which focus on operational and administrative amendments, the committee, along with overwhelming public concurrence, was disappointed in the phased approach. The phased approach lacked a thorough engagement process in which to inform meaningful change to address the uneven and poor state of education in the territory.
The Minister did provide a commitment that phase 2 of the Education Act amendments will include robust engagement and result in substantive amendments to the act aimed at improving educational outcomes of Northwest Territories students.
While Bill 81 is very limited and technical in nature, because it proposes changes to education, the committee took on the task to review the bill very seriously. Through the engagement process, the committee received six written submissions and met with residents and stakeholders from Inuvik, Norman Wells, Deline, Colville Lake, and Yellowknife. The committee took the concerns received in the engagement process and moved amendments to the bill to address these issues. The committee received ministerial concurrence to amend Bill 81 with regards to student transportation, education oversight committee and parental consent, and student education program modifications.
Based on the breadth of grave concerns the committee heard from stakeholders in the engagement process, the committee provides recommendations to the government to inform phase 2 of the amendments to the Education Act expected in the 20th Assembly.
Recommendations for phase 2 amendments of the Education Act include improvements to the approach and engagement process, absenteeism, wraparound services, and support for students with disabilities.
The committee expresses gratitude to everyone who met in person with the committee and provided their thoughts in writing. The committee acknowledges the disparities in education outcomes in small communities and lived experience of small community residents. The committee acknowledges many stakeholders shared very personal and even shocking experiences as a result of gaps in the education system. The committee would also like to recognize this information was shared in an effort to address the desperate need for improvements to the education system in the Northwest Territories. Committee would like to thank all stakeholders for their contributions.
Madam Chair, individual Members may have additional comments at this time. Thank you.