EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The standing committee notes that while new staffing positions will be established to assist with the delivery of inclusive education support, many of the required services will be provided on a contract basis. Members encourage the department to ensure that resources are in place so that students who receive specialized services continue to receive ongoing follow-up and support as they progress through the school system.
Members further support the department’s ongoing work with Nunavut Arctic College to ensure that the Teacher Education Program at Nunavut Arctic College provides relevant training to upcoming educators to better enable them to address inclusive education issues within Nunavut’s education system.
During the minister’s appearance before the standing committee to review his draft main estimates for 2017-18, members received updates on the department’s work towards developing a complement of Inuit language material, especially in the areas of guided reading and writing.
The standing committee urges the department to continue in its efforts to create and adapt curriculum materials for the Nunavut context for all grade levels.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee notes that one of the department’s new divisions will focus on educator development, including training and other initiatives.
Members strongly support and encourage the department in its efforts to increase the number of bilingual teachers who are actively teaching in Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, for 2017-18 the department proposes to add a number of teaching positions for schools in certain communities across Nunavut.
In recent years concerns have been expressed that the current student-educator ratio formula does not meet community needs or expectations with respect to the number of educators in schools or to address large classroom sizes.
Members would welcome the opportunity to review future proposals to amend the student-educator ratio formula.
The standing committee notes that the Minister of Education intends to bring forward a bill to amend the Education Act during the current sitting and members look forward to reviewing the legislative amendments that will be proposed with a view to improving the overall delivery of the education system across Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee recognizes that the Department of Education also offers programs aimed at supporting adults who wish to improve their educational qualifications, such as obtaining their High School Diploma under the new Pathways to Adult Secondary School initiative.
Members recognize that education staff work closely with their counterparts in Family Services to ensure that all adult Nunavummiut requesting or receiving services related to furthering their education or career opportunities are supported.
Members also feel, however, that greater effort could be made at the school level to better support and prepare students who may wish to pursue trades programs or alternative, non-academic career paths after they graduate from high school.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Joanasie. Well read.
Welcome, minister.
I’m trying to understand why you didn’t talk about the amendments to the Education Act. I didn’t hear it in your opening comments.
Let us all remember that what we are saying here and in the coming weeks are dealing with the estimates, the money that we will be planning to spend.
That’s why we’re here. I think we have all heard while we’re sitting here, we will introduce that at some point during the winter session.
We don’t have the legislative proposal yet.
We will be expecting that then. In your business plan for 2017-2020 from page 89 to 90 it lists different priorities, but there is no mention of the Act there either.
We have no names for general comments. We will now proceed to the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates starting on page G-4.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $3.9 million.
I was trying to ask about the priorities in your business plan for the coming year, 2017-18, that are outlined on pages 89 to 90 in regard to putting the Education Act under there.
What is the opinion of the department’s officials on that?
If I understand the question correctly, in the budget and in the financial plans, if I got his question right with respect to the legislation that the member seems to allude to, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman: Mr. Joanasie, rephrase your question.
The Department of Education has stated that they will be introducing amendments to the Education Act. However, in the business plan there is not much mention of it.
I don’t know why and that’s what I’m trying to find out.
Let us remember that it has not been approved.
We can’t introduce it until the Act has been approved.
Maybe I’m expecting it too much and that’s why I’m talking about it already.
I can’t wait to see how it’s going to look. I just want to see what it will mean when it’s being implemented. I’m trying to find out what changes we can expect, but I didn’t find out much.
You are proposing changes in five areas, as I mentioned, but you are now proposing nine areas.
Perhaps the minister can specify exactly what those areas are being proposed for your department.
Let me first say that this is about the education system and how it can operate more efficiently, how our staff can work together more smoothly, or how we can better present these things and result in operational improvements. That’s our main goal and objective.
We want to look at various responsibilities as well as new initiatives so that they can more effectively achieve their objectives.
That is the main focus of this section so that we can better serve our students.
As I stated earlier, the Department of Education shouldn’t be so compartmentalized and work more closely, as many of their responsibilities are basically the same.
Sometimes being too compartmentalized, even in the same community, can result in operational problems.
Let’s be aware that departmental staff that don’t work directly in the schools make up 53 percent of departmental positions.
This is about how those staff can get better involved and working closer together with frontline staff.
The member is really talking about realignment.
That is why I wanted to talk about how we want to realign, if I understood the member’s question correctly, Mr. Chairman.
Are there going to be more divisions within your department after that realignment?
Before I go to the minister, your first round of questioning, just a reminder that the bill to amend the Education Act has not been introduced into the legislature yet.
I believe we’re misunderstanding one another. I’m talking about realignment and why there are changes occurring. Realignment is quite different from the amendment to the Act.
I just want to make that clarification so that I can respond more appropriately to the member, Mr. Chairman.
Your department is going to be doing some realignment with the various divisions.
Once these have been realigned, do we expect more realignment in the future?
I hope that’s coming off clear enough.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank my colleague for that clarification. Now we understand.
If we remember, Sivumut Abluqta elaborates on how we can be more effective with the money that we receive, such as providing (interpretation ends) “Good government through the wise use of resources.” (interpretation) That’s our goal.
In regard to the member’s other question, the changes we want to make have been identified.
We’re not looking at new realignments.
The only things that we are considering for realignment are the ones that we have outlined. I know that there are three regions.
How can the three regions work closely together as one?
These are some of the various reasons why we want to make some realignment within the Department of Education, but there won’t be any further changes after that.
I also thank the minister for further explaining that the bill to amend the Education Act has not been introduced yet.
I was expecting it.
Is the Department of Education on track with the bill’s introduction?
Will it be tabled on time in the future?
Yes, it’s proceeding according to plan and I believe everyone is aware that we will be making a motion on March 9.
We will expect the bill then.
I would also like to move on to the Coalition of Nunavut DEAs.
Have you had a close working relationship with the coalition since last year?
What’s the status of your working relationship?
We have good communication with the Coalition of Nunavut DEAs on the progress of what we’re doing within the department.
We first met with them in regard to the amendments to the legislation on October 28 and also within this month, the officials met with them and last week.
We exchange correspondence and we communicate by telephone and through the Internet.
That’s how close we’re working together. We consult with them constantly and also the chair.
I was in Rankin Inlet just recently when I met with the coalition chair to provide an update on where we’re at with the Education Act.
Can the minister elaborate on what the DEA coalition’s position was when you met with them in regard to the legislative proposal?
I meet with various groups and when I met with the chair, I just stated to her what she should expect.
I informed the chair during our winter session that the first reading will be done during this session in March. After the bill has been given first and second reading, it will become a public document.
The questions that were asked by the coalition are how the legislation will be set up and how the new amendment will be enacted. I explained to them that these are the issues that I want to request.
They’re in the amendment and I explained to them that we need to approve them in the House in order for the legislation or the bill to become enacted.
The provisions for the DEAs will be amended and I also explained it to the chair.
The chair was very appreciative of the fact that we consulted with them and gave them information. Once the chair of the Coalition of Nunavut DEAs heard about our future plans, she was very appreciative.
Also in your business plan on page 87 one of your priorities for 2016-17, the middle bullet states, “Continue to develop online training modules for DEA members and Office Managers.” This has commenced and is expected to be completed in 2017.
Can you give me an update on how this will be completed?
Online training modules will provide support to the local DEAs and office managers so that they will be better informed on the progress of education everywhere.
Whenever new programs are introduced, DEAs will be the first to be informed.
The will be provided with adequate support on how school operations can be improved in the communities.
It’s going to help with understanding the education curriculum and explain its benefits to the community.
The DEAs are establishing a new program for training the new members of the DEAs or package for the new DEAs so that they will have the DEA orientation program.
It also provides support online. As we know, it’s very expensive to travel by air, so this online training program eliminates the costs of travelling.
We have also put together a training program for DEA office managers and we allocate funding to the DEAs through agreements to provide support or training on how to do budgeting.
It includes training on how to use the funding and what the funding means. DEAs can apply for funding annually.
The online training program will have a lot of benefit in Nunavut and to the DEAs. It will be available to them.
Again on page 87, there are quite a number of initiatives for families, such as family engagement initiatives. These are aimed at engaging the family in education.
How is this running?
Can you indicate to us whether families are more engaged with their children’s education?
I would like to think so.
We are not the only ones involved in the effort to further engage families.
We are working with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Nunavut Tunngavik on family engagement online.
We’re looking at how we can get parents to help their children’s learning.
Parents are actively involved, but there’s no question that increasing their role can help improve academic achievement in everyday learning
We are also using theatre. For example, we have a theatre here in Iqaluit and we’re looking at how we can improve family engagement through that activity.
The DEAs are also looking at how they can improve the relationships between parents and schools. When I go to the communities, I have meetings with the district education authorities and I lobby for increased engagement of parents, such as through the family engagement initiative.
Have you noticed that attendance has improved in schools since the family engagement initiative started?
I am very pleased when there are grade 12 graduation ceremonies and usually at those times they thank their parents for having given them the support they needed to stay in school.
It’s very enlightening when you hear the students thanking their parents for their full support for all those years.
It’s a whole community effort to keep the students in school.
Since we started doing the review from 2011, there has been an increase in attendance by the students.
In 2011-12 attendance was at 71.4 percent, it increased by 3.8 percent in 2013-14 to 75.2 percent, and in 2014-15 it increased to 78.3 percent.
There’s a gradual increase in the attendance rates of the students from 2011. I can also say that there is also an increase in school attendance in Arviat.
The DEAs have made a big positive impact in increasing the attendance rates of the students to date.
I also thank the minister for that information.
It’s so good to hear news about the increase in attendance rates from kindergarten right up to grade 12, especially when I would like to see students stay in school.
Moving on to page 86 and something you brought up earlier in your opening comments regarding partner relations, can you provide further clarification on the role of the Partner Relations Division?
It’s a new project that we’re setting up in our department.
It is in relation to communication and working together and we’re offering it to DEAs and schools.
Just as an example, there’s quite a lot of partnering organizations involved in education. We have the district education authorities, Nunavut Tunngavik, the Nunavut Teachers Association, and the Nunavut Employees Union. There are different organizations that are involved in the educational field, as well as parents.
Under the Partner Relations Division, it means engaging various organizations to give them the same, uniform information. If we’re working on one specific task, they are given the same information, for example, so that the DEAs will be fully informed about what’s happening in our schools.
It involves different organizations that we would be working closely with, for example, Nunavut Tunngavik, the Nunavut Teachers Association, district education authorities, and involving the parents. Those are the different organizations that we work with and to make sure that they have all the same information that we’re putting out.
Again under partner relations, it involves the Elders Advisory Committee.
That will be my last question as my time is running out.
I understand your question clearly, my colleague.
Yes, it will be pretty much the same organizations involved.
Again, for example, the Elders Advisory Committee would be more involved with the directorate.
The Elders Advisory Committee provides advice to the district education authorities on language and culture.
They would be more involved with the directorate.
Since we have realigned, the Elders Advisory Committee will be very helpful and they will be giving advice to our department anywhere.
That’s basically what the Elders Advisory Committee is going to be doing.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 28, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 20:03
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Pages 3414 – 3443
Opening Prayer 3414
Ministers’ Statements 3414
Members’ Statements 3417
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 3423
Oral Questions 3426
Tabling of Documents 3441
Notices of Motions 3441
First Reading of Bills 3442
Orders of the Day 3443
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 3414
248 – 4(3): National Housing Strategy (Kuksuk) 3414
249 – 4(3): Retirement of David Monteith (Savikataaq) 3415
250 – 4(3): New Oxygen Equipment at Hospital (Hickes) 3416
251 – 4(3): QEC Apprenticeship Program (Mike) 3416
468 – 4(3): Wishing a Safe Hunting Season for Sanikiluaq (Rumbolt) 3417
469 – 4(3): Qajaq-making Initiative at Netsilik High School (Qirngnuq) 3417
470 – 4(3): Recognition of Volunteer Firefighters (Keyootak) 3418
471 – 4(3): Traditional Inuit Customs (Shooyook) 3419
472 – 4(3): My Father’s Land – By Zacharias Kunuk (Quassa) 3420
473 – 4(3): RCMP Public Engagement in Kugluktuk (Taptuna) 3421
474 – 4(3): Arctic College Foundation Course Students (Angnakak) 3421
475 – 4(3): Respecting Our Elders (Okalik) 3422
476 – 4(3): Recognizing Embassy of Imagination (Joanasie) 3422
477 – 4(3): Nunavut Black History Month (Hickes) 3423
621 – 4(3): Government of Nunavut Responses to Motions (Angnakak) 3426
622 – 4(3): Qikiqtarjuaq Marine Infrastructure (Keyootak) 3428
623 – 4(3): Accommodations for Government Employees on Medical Travel (Okalik) 3430
624 – 4(3): Housing in Arctic Bay (Shooyook) 3432
625 – 4(3): Language Proficiency in the Public Service (Joanasie) 3433
626 – 4(3): Airport Infrastructure (Mikkungwak) 3435
627 – 4(3): Dental Insurance (Angnakak) 3436
628 – 4(3): Support for Hunters and Trappers Associations (Shooyook) 3438
629 – 4(3): Language Proficiency in the Public Service (Joanasie) 3440
261 – 4(3): Adopted Resolutions from the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce (Mikkungwak) 3441
042 – 4(3): Extension of Review Period for Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Consumer Protection Act – Notice (Sammurtok, T) 3442
043 – 4(3): Adjournment for the Day (Rumbolt) 3442
Bill 36 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – First Reading 3442
Bill 42 – An Act to Amend the Tobacco Tax Act – First Reading 3442
Mr. Tony Akoak, Ms. Pat Angnakak, Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk, Mr. Joe Enook, Hon. George Hickes, Mr. David Joanasie, Mr. Pauloosie Keyootak, Hon. George Kuksuk, Mr. Steve Mapsalak, Hon. Johnny Mike, Mr. Simeon Mikkungwak, Mr. Paul Okalik, Hon. Keith Peterson, Mr. Emiliano Qirngnuq, Hon. Paul Quassa, Hon. George Qulaut, Mr. Allan Rumbolt, Mr. Tom Sammurtok, Hon. Joe Savikataaq, Mr. Isaac Shooyook, Hon. Peter Taptuna.
Speaker (Hon. George Qulaut) (interpretation): Can you say the opening prayer, please, Ms. Monica Ell-Kanayuk.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, Mr. George Kuksuk.
Minister’s Statement 248 – 4(3): National Housing Strategy (Kuksuk)
Hon. George Kuksuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) Good afternoon, my colleagues, residents of Arviat and Whale Cove, as well as my fellow Nunavummiut.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to address the Legislative Assembly today about the ongoing development of a national housing strategy.
The Government of Nunavut has been working hard with the federal government as well as provincial and territorial colleagues to advance the development of the strategy, which aims to ensure that all Canadians have access to safe, affordable and appropriate housing.
Mr. Speaker, the initiative marks the first time a strategic long-term approach has been undertaken to address housing issues faced by Canadians across the country.
I am pleased to say that the Government of Nunavut, through the Nunavut Housing Corporation, has been working closely with our tri-territorial partners in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories to ensure that northern housing will be a key priority of the National Housing Strategy.
As we all know, Mr. Speaker, Nunavut is facing a severe housing crisis that we are working hard to address.
Many of the issues we face at home are similar to those faced in the other two territories, and through these shared challenges we have come together to ensure that the Government of Canada recognizes the serious housing needs that are unique to the north.
Mr. Speaker, more details of the federal, provincial and territorial partnership on the National Housing Strategy will be established as we develop a multilateral framework this year.
As the strategy continues to develop, we will continue our efforts to ensure that housing in the territories remains a priority.
We are hopeful that a comprehensive national housing strategy will be aligned to longer term housing funding and can be coordinated with the implementation of the Government of Nunavut’s own Blueprint for Action on Housing.
Only through shared action can provincial, territorial and federal governments streamline collective efforts to improve the housing situation for Canadians and demonstrate their commitment to increase access to safe, affordable and sustainable housing across the country.
I look forward to updating my colleagues as the strategy continues to develop throughout the coming months.
Minister’s Statement 249 – 4(3): Retirement of David Monteith (Savikataaq)
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the many years of outstanding service that Mr. David Monteith has provided to the people of Nunavut.
David is retiring from his position as Director of Parks and Special Places within the Department of Environment after a career with the government which stretches back to before Nunavut was even created.
Mr. Monteith first came to the north in 1970 and after several years working for the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Arctic Co-ops, he joined the Government of the Northwest Territories back in 1981 working as the area economic development officer with responsibilities for Pond Inlet, Nanisivik, and Arctic Bay.
He later became the regional tourism and parks officer for the Qikiqtaaluk region.
With the creation of Nunavut, David became its first director of parks and tourism, and he has been the director of parks and special places for the last 12 years, working tirelessly to preserve and promote Nunavut’s natural heritage.
Mr. Speaker, I would like David Monteith to stand up, please.
Mr. Speaker, David Monteith’s contribution to the Government of Nunavut and my department in particular has been invaluable, and I wish to take this opportunity to thank him for his many years of services and thank him for all the work that he has done and a happy retirement.
He’s just going to a different phase of his life; he’s not disappearing.
Mr. David Monteith, I thank you for the many years of service.
Minister’s Statement 250 – 4(3): New Oxygen Equipment at Hospital (Hickes)
In our continued effort to deliver health care using the latest technology, I am pleased to announce that the new continuous positive airway pressure equipment, commonly known as CPAP, is in use at Qikiqtani General Hospital here in Iqaluit.
Mr. Speaker, CPAP is a device that continuously blows either regular air or air with added oxygen into the nose or into both the mouth and nose.
CPAP helps keep the airway open and improves levels of oxygen in the blood.
Mr. Speaker, though CPAP can be used for all ages, this device has improved outcomes for newborns, especially babies who are either premature or full term who need a little help with their breathing.
Prior to CPAP, the only option was to place a tube down their airway to assist breathing which would require babies to be medevaced south.
Mr. Speaker, we’re already seeing the benefit of CPAP in reducing the need for medevacs.
I look forward to the continued successful use of this equipment in the future.
Minister’s Statement 251 – 4(3): QEC Apprenticeship Program (Mike)
It is with great pleasure that I rise today to share with you about the success of two new skilled trades employees of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
In September 2016 Jarvis Towtongie and Amauyaq Lindell received their certificates of completion as heavy equipment technicians through the QEC Apprenticeship Program.
Both technicians are now working full time for the QEC in their hometown of Rankin Inlet.