Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my line of questioning for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment around education in Inuvik, I mentioned in my Member's statement the little over $40 million, I think around $41 million, that we received for Francophone funding from the federal government.
Can the Minister kind of give an outlay of what that funding is used for and if any of that funding is earmarked for French immersion programs in communities such as Inuvik? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of ECE.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I don't have a breakdown based on per education body. I know that there's about $1.8 million that are going to all education bodies specifically for French second language programming. While we provide those dollars, there aren't rules as to what exact model that funding has to follow. It doesn't necessarily have to be French language -- or sorry, French immersion programming. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So it's a little confusing. And I understand, part of the conversation here is that the Minister can't direct, the Minister can't intervene with what the local education authorities are doing; however, we are the department of education, we are the Minister of education, not the Minister of let's get a board to do this, Mr. Speaker. So my question is maybe it's time that we take a look at the legislation around how the Acts are administered around the education bodies, and is the Minister willing to have that conversation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, this work is already underway. It has definitely been a very eye-opening experience to become the Minister of education and the Minister ultimately responsible for the education system. But we have a very decentralized system in the Northwest Territories.
What I am certainly learning from my colleagues in this House is they want to be able to hold me accountable for things that aren't always within my authority, and so this is definitely very live conversation and definitely things that I would recommend that all residents of the territory participate in this review when it comes to their community and speak with their MLA because governance will certainly be a hot topic and certainly be a part of the complete modernization of our Education Act in the territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you. And I appreciate that, and I understand that the decisions being made that we're expecting that the Minister are going to wear those decisions. That's why we're elected. And I also understand that there is certainly a decentralization happening with education bodies, but. So okay, the work is underway. Can the Minister commit to when that we expect to see that review done and any timelines around having that work done so we can certainly have a look at that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, this will be the first piece of social legislation that the Government of the Northwest Territories does in collaboration with Indigenous governments. And so certainly the GNWT is not the only participant at the table in this piece of legislation. So on one hand, we need to make sure that it's responsive and we're getting it done, but also need to make sure that we are providing appropriate time for our partners to participate in the modernization of this legislation. I would love the opportunity to be able to sit with the Standing Committee on Social Development and go over this should they request a briefing. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
