All right, thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today I talked about the struggle parents are going through and, you know, while I had a modicum of energy the other night, I was perusing the Education Act. Why? Because, well, I couldn't even answer that. But that said -- but I had the energy. When I have parents telling me that their children have finally been diagnosed at their individual costs, whether it's for dyslexia, dyscalculia, or even expression or receptive problems with language and delays, they wonder where the education system is --
(audio).
They wonder where the education system is under section 7(2). Mr. Speaker, if the schools cannot provide these assessments, can parents do these on their own and seek reimbursement through the department of education? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of ECE.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the way that our system is structured today, that funding request would have to go to the education body itself. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my statement, these can cost $3,000, even parents paying up to $6,000 per child for supports to get these actioned. Is the Minister saying that if parents request this through the educational body, the department of education will support these financial requests for these parents? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I'm saying is currently we have our school funding formula which turns around and funds education bodies. There is not a mechanism that these types of tests are currently supported through the department of education. One of the things that many education bodies do is look at their student body and find ways to support multiple students through the funding that they do have afforded to them. So any type of specialty type test that is done through the education body themselves would have to be done in discussion with the education body. I know that they do fund some specialty tests, but they do keep them to a minimum and do a certain number of them a year based on their funding. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ECE. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I knew the Minister would just say that the money's within the system. But also there's a section called section 18(3), and it talks about where the Minister may provide funding for tuition fees and costs in their discretion, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate it's not mandatory, but it says may. So if we're not meeting the needs of the students to the best of abilities of the school system, can parents pursue these things, because some of them are waiting years to get help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think this is critical information that we're going to get back from families in regards to the inclusive schooling review. We had a tremendous amount of families, of educators, of students participate in this review and explain their experience and their needs to the department of education, and I fully intend to use that information to form our next steps. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ECE. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
