Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Chairman, that particular question will have to depend on us working closely with the school boards. The infrastructure, the space availability within a school, so we would have to work out those logistics and as the Member indicated, we are in February, and September, so we do have some time to work with them as well. We have done our research and we have done analysis of the spaces that are available to us, and we have that information before us. Some of the information that Members… I totally agree with the Member that we need qualified professionals to deal with our children in the...

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. As you’re aware, we were going through the Early Childhood Development Framework. The action plan has been developed, and part of the action plan, obviously, will capture the junior kindergarten. I understand where the Member is coming from. Where would it be situated, because we are currently using the PTR as part of the school contribution, so there’s ECD Action Plan, part of the recommendations brought to our attention, so junior kindergarten would capture that. At the same time, we are having this school contribution as part of PTR to offset the costs of introducing...

When it comes to making decisions based on the clientele’s needs, we have to follow the policies, regulations and also the legislation that has been passed in this House. At the end of the day, the decision lies within my department. I’m the overall person in charge of authority of income support. The client service officers work in the communities with the clientele and work with the directors. It goes under my shop as well. We have to keep in mind that there are regulations, legislation that we have to follow, to meet the needs of individuals in the communities. Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, the Member talked about those individual children with special needs. Obviously, we are currently reviewing inclusive schooling. That’s a particular program to focus on those individuals with special needs. We’ll do what we can through the review process to capture those individuals even more, strengthening the programming itself. That is currently under review.

Also, the Member talked about the community delivering age four programming and other programming. We are currently introducing junior kindergarten for four-year-olds. This is an area that we feel that it could be utilized in...

Indeed, safety becomes a factor when it comes to client service officers dealing with clientele. It goes both ways. We do have client service officers in most of the communities; and those communities that may not have it, we have regional representatives. I just met with the client service officers from across the Northwest Territories just last week and I had a really good discussion with them. I wanted to share their perspective because they are grassroots people dealing with clientele on a day-to-day basis. I was very appreciative, listening to what they are faced with, their challenges...

Mr. Chair, what I stated earlier is, as the Minister responsible for education, I’m guaranteeing them that they will be under 16 to 1. Anything above and beyond that, my department will be subsidizing them. Territorial-wide at this point we are, obviously, under. After a three-year period, we’re saying we want to be under. That’s the guarantee that we want to have. Anything above and beyond that, we’re going to subsidize. Mahsi.

I’m glad the Member is asking that specific question. Yes, indeed, it is a collaborative effort. It’s not just the Education department. As Member Bisaro also alluded to, we’re in a workforce environment, so it does cover all spectrum of activity that is happening in the schools, outside the schools, so working in collaboration with MACA, Health and Social Services, the Justice department and other departments are getting involved. It is one of our priorities, as well, to prevent bullying from happening in the school environment, in the work environment and in other places within the Northwest...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Our contribution is towards the school boards. We give the school board funding based on the 13 to one even though we are legislated for 16 to one. It’s an approximate figure of $11 million over a year period to subsidize them to meet that 13 to one standard. That’s where it’s at today at this point. Maybe if I can get Ms. Martin to elaborate more and provide a bit more detail. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize Anti-Bullying Day today. In the gallery I would like to recognize two people who wrote the lyrics and produced the song “Think Pink,” the anti-bullying theme song that was performed at the Pink Shirt Day today in the Great Hall. They are here with us today, Teaya Crossman, a Grade 3 student from Weledeh Catholic School, and also David Dowe, a classroom assistant from Weledeh. Also joining them is Damon Crossman, Teaya’s father. Of course, I’d like to recognize the superintendent, as well, Claudia Parker, and Assistant Superintendent...