Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, I move, second by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Education Act to provide the subject to regulation persons who are employed as superintendents are employed in the public service and makes corollary amendments to the Public Service Act to address the employment status of superintendents. This bill also clarifies the status of certain incumbent superintendents who would otherwise be affected by this amendment. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I have said on numerous occasions in this House that the department has been engaged with superintendents of all the school boards since last summer, and August 21, 2013, was our first, initial meeting we had last year, September 18th, November 27th and also January 22nd with the superintendents of all the school boards. So they’ve been fully engaged in our discussions and we will continue to have that dialogue with all the superintendents as we move forward for the next three years of our phased-in approach. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Aurora College Annual Report, 2012-2013.” Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Let me be clear. We’re not wiping out the other programs. We’re enhancing the other programs that are in the communities and this is optional junior kindergarten programming for those individuals that cannot afford junior kindergarten in the communities. Ten communities without licenced child care programming, but we are going to be rolling out the program in 29 communities, the small, isolated communities that are without these licenced programming.

We are enhancing, yes there is preschool, there’s also Head Start programming. As I’ve stated in this House, we have an early childhood...

As you know, we haven’t really rolled out the program yet. It will be this September. We’re at the point where we are working with those operators such as Head Start programming and also the preschools and other licenced early childhood development programs in our communities and those communities that do not have it. As I stated, we have an early childhood consultant who is working very closely with the communities. We want this program to be very successful. It’s a three-year phased-in approach. We want this Head Start program, preschool obviously, enhanced as well. We will be working...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Clearly, junior kindergarten is optional to the parents. It’s up to the parents to choose where their kids should be going. Obviously, we support the preschoolers who are out there in the communities such as Hay River, Yellowknife and other communities. We continue to support that. We provide funding through various programs we have within ECE and the Health department and other areas and we continue to sponsor those.

This is just an enhancement for the preschoolers who are out there and it is an option for the parents. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. This particular motion that’s before us has been debated for a number of years now.

[Translation] This bill is very important and it’s been very, very… We’ve been talking about it since 2005 until now, and especially since I’ve been elected we’ve been in discussions about it twice. We also wanted an extra MLA for the Tlicho region. In 2013 they wanted 19, 20 and 21. They also went to Rae region to ask the people and a lot of people attended the meeting at that time. So the Tlicho citizens want an extra MLA in their region and the elders have also requested that. In the...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. That is part of our discussion we’re having now. As I’ve stated in the House, an action plan will be coming by this spring, late spring and it will be delivered to the Standing Committee for their input as well. So that is the process that we’re going through and yes, I will be informing the standing committee. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Student Financial Assistance supports the students that need financial assistance going back to university or college. There are subsidy programs through ECE, Education, Culture and Employment that do offset the cost of child care programming because we have to support those students. We want them to succeed and come back to our communities to obviously develop professional backgrounds, so to become a professional.

It may not be covered through SFA, but there are other subsidies within ECE that will offset the cost of daycare. Mahsi.