EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Also, if there are any other programs other than the teacher education program that have a special committee or that the committee is looking at.
Chairman (interpretation): I’m sorry.
I would like to ask my Deputy Minister to respond to it so that he can clarify the special committees.
Mr. Moody: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The rationale for having special advisory committees in a case like NTEP, is to bring direction to the course subject specialty.
So for example, if you are dealing with teacher education, we would have on that group seasoned northern educators to guide the program, to ensure the needs of Nunavummiut taking the course were taken into account.
Another part of that question, Mr. Chairman, I believe was, are there are other committees.
There are, I don’t have a complete list here with me today but I can offer a couple of other examples.
The member mentioned the Executive MBA program run in conjunction between Nunavut Arctic College and St. Mary’s University.
It also has a Steering Committee, made up of representatives both from Nunavut and from St. Mary’s.
It is my understanding that there are other advisory committees as well on particular topic areas.
In terms of the department’s liaison with the college, our department has two assistant deputy ministers and one of our assistant deputy ministers, Cathy Oopik, is in charge of all adult programs.
So Cathy provides the main liaison between our department and Arctic College so we can ensure proper harmony between related adult programs whether they’re run by the department or run by the college.
On this item, 13 million 44, we haven’t received any contents for this particular program since 1999.
How well do we use this program.
Are we going to receive any description of this.
In addition, since the GNWT was divided, the Arctic College is still at the same organization level.
Are they ever going to research, or review how many employees there are in Arctic College geared towards the Baffin Region, also in Kitikmeot and Kivalliqmiut.
Are the numbers the same or pretty close within that 13 million dollars.
Can he let us know when there’s going to be a review on this particular program.
Can the member ask the question again.
My official and I understood differently what his question was.
We have to know what the 13 million dollars is used for.
I will want to know the exact details of the spending.
Also under the teacher education strategy, it used to be in 2000-2001 at 1.8 million dollars.
Is it because there is nobody training that there is nothing written here.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): This is the same question as earlier.
The money is still there but it was moved over to another area to Early Childhood Education and School Services.
It's moved over and transferred to those programs, the money is still there.
Chairperson (interpretation): Under 9-11.
Are there any further questions to 9-11.
Total operations and maintenance, 19 million 406 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 19 million 406 thousand dollars.
Going on to 9-14.
Under Education, branch summary.
Total O&M 7 million 809 thousand dollars.
Total expenditures, 7 million 809 thousand dollars.
Under page 9-15.
It says aboriginal language and culture programs.
When it is written like that this sounds like a federal government program in Nunavut.
All the aboriginals here are Inuit, so it should say Inuit.
Chairperson (interpretation): That is just a comment.
I didn't get your question, did you have one.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Under 9-15, it said in the 7 million 809 thousand dollars, I just don't like the way it is written.
The name of that program, it is called aboriginal language and culture programs.
Only the federal government refers to Nunavut Inuit as aboriginals.
I don't know how the English version is written, but we are from Nunavut not just aboriginals.
Under aboriginal culture and language program. It means aboriginal language and cultural programs.
It seems to have a proper name for it, maybe the minister can explain further.
I want to know if there are any questions on 9-14. Was that completed.
Chairperson (interpretation): We didn’t deal with 9-14 yet.
Total expenditures, 7 million 809 thousand. Do you agree.
Do you have any questions on this page. Mr. McLean.
Mr. McLean: On page 9-16.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman On teacher education strategies it says provides supports for ongoing Teacher Education Program delivery, funding for teachers’ certification and for northerners.
That's the ongoing TEP program, a slight increase of 191 thousand dollars, is that correct.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. McLean. Minister.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: On the Nunavut Teachers’ Education Program and also the community based Teacher Education Program.
It looks like the department is putting more funding into it, which is good.
The more local people we can train to be teachers the better, I think the turnover would be a lot less than it is now.
Does the minister have numbers on how many students are in the TEP program to date. I won't hold the minister down to one or two, if he has a rough estimate as to how many are taking the Teacher Education Program in Nunavut today.
What are the numbers.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: We do not have those figures here with us at this table, but we can most certainly get them. Probably tomorrow.
Chairperson (interpretation): I believe he's got the numbers now. Mr. Minister.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Here is the breakdown.
Six in Pond Inlet, in Rankin Inlet they started with five but three have quit, Cambridge Bay six, in Sanikiluaq five, in Iqaluit 14, totalling 33.
Mr. McLean: Those who are taking the course this year, correct me if I'm wrong, it's a two to three year course. Is that correct.
This is designed for three years.
Mr. McLean: I think the Teacher Education Program has proved quite beneficial to Nunavut as a whole.
I see more Inuit teachers in the schools in my travels and I think that's good where you have a lot of communities that are really pushing the Inuktitut language in the communities and it's nice to have teachers in the elementary schools that speak the first language to the students.
That goes a long way in preserving the language.
I know a lot of people in this room were discouraged when they went to southern schools if they talked their mother tongue what happened to them and I like I say today I can't overemphasize how important that I feel over the years that this Teacher Education Program continue and be successful.
But putting that aside, what are we doing as a government and I don't really see a lot of emphasis or a lot of promotion on trying to encourage our graduates which we are starting to have a large number of.
In your statement, we had over two hundred.
What are we doing as a government to try to encourage our graduates to get into the teaching profession.
I don't see much out there.
I agree with the member that we can further promote this program to the students in high school.
The Teacher Education Program can be promoted further.
All of the schools do get information programs available on Teacher Education Program but there's no specific program geared towards promoting it.
We do have other careers that are promoted in schools.
I do agree with him that we should promote this to the high school students for their career planning.
Mr. McLean: There was a program and I hate comparing us to the old GNWT but I think they did a few things that I appreciated.
One of the things they had done and I have to compliment Mr. Ed Picco, the Minister of Health for his poster campaign, I was thinking of maybe starting the habit there a few times but after seeing those posters I decided no I think I'll be like Mr. Picco and stay away from the addiction of smoking.
I have to praise the minister for giving up his addiction and I hope he stays away from it.
But going back to what I've been saying is that there used to be poster campaigns that showed role models for Nunavut. They had people that graduated from certain courses whether it was nursing, plumbing, teachers, and other various courses and they were put up in the schools, they were put up in government offices, contact this institution if you want to be somebody.
I think it also promotes self-pride and motivation to the students.
If you go in to a lot of the schools and you ask the kids what they want to be when they graduate it's pretty hard.
They have to really think about what they want to do.
We have career development officers and guidance counsellors in a lot of schools and I know kids are talked to and stuff like that but are the, is the upside of being a teacher promoted.
I think a lot of people get turned off from the teaching profession because they go into our schools namely the elementary schools and they see that they have to look after 25 to 30 students in every classroom.
A lot of the young people that I talk to they come in and say Glenn I need a job and I go why don't you become a teacher, oh I can't because you have 30 kids in the classroom and I don't know if I can handle that.
But, I don't think that is the main reason that they don't want to be teachers.
I just don't thing they see the benefits of being a role model.
I think teachers in our communities are probably one of the best role models in my opinion that students can have.
They really look up to them.
That is their first contact when they are six years old is the teaching profession.
I am urging the department to maybe put a little bit more emphasis on promoting the teaching profession in Nunavut, because we all see that there are so many kids entering the schools.
We get X number entering every year.
There is a high teacher burn out, we hear teachers from the south don't want to come up here any more because the benefits aren't what they used to be.
I am sure that if we could make it better that the government probably would. On the other hand I think we can do a better job in Nunavut trying to promote our graduates and making the teaching profession look a lot better than it seems to be to a lot of the students that would go into it today.
Like I say I don't think it has to be a costly venture.
There are people in the schools now, guidance counsellors, there are regional positions for development officers, and I am sure that they would like to get involved in trying to promote our younger people in getting into the teaching profession.
Education is very important and the department that we are dealing with is a very important department.
That is a very good comment Mr. McLean.
I think that those were just comments that the member raised.
Whenever we talk to our staff, we try to inform them about what has been said to us.
Those are good ideas and we will keep them in mind.
It was a comment.
It was a long comment, which I am noted to do.
However, can the minister commit to do some kind of promotion to young people in the schools, graduates and stuff like that to maybe consider a profession in teaching in Nunavut.
Maybe have a few extra pamphlets or information materials available so that maybe they can consider a career in the teaching field.
There are other members that would like to speak.
We will go to my list.
Once other members have spoken, we will give you a chance to ask more questions.
Mr. Minister did you want to respond.
The member asked whether we could make pamphlets to encourage students to get into the teacher education program and I agree to do that.
On Early Childhood Education and School Services, please redirect me if my question is not in this area.
I wanted to mention something that has been brought to my attention about the schools.
When I look at the instruction and support services, right away what comes to my mind is that the teacher in the classroom has to have a support worker in that area.
I guess what I am trying to say, is it in this area where I can address what the plan is for where we have a shortage or over crowded classrooms where the teacher needs an assistant in the classroom..
I am not sure what to call it, a classroom assistant to help the teacher.
The reason why I am saying this is because it’s happening in my community where we have only probably two assistants in the class, in one of the schools anyway.
Two support workers in the classroom, and they are saying they need 4-5 in that school.
I'll raise it again when I see that title come up in O&M. So is there some place where we can talk about increasing support workers in each classroom.
Mr. Chairman, if it is okay with you I'll get my Deputy Minister to respond to that question.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Moody.
I hope I understand the question, I'll try my best.
I believe the member was asking about the plans to provide increased support in the classroom for teachers.
The budget before you in terms of support in the classroom keeps pace with the pupil teacher ratios, and that there are enough funds allocated to take into account additional students.
There are no additional measures to provide other support over and above the additional teachers in this budget.
However, the department, I believe the minister has mentioned on an earlier occasion, one of the other reviews that we are doing currently and we hope to have this done by late spring, probably by the end of June.
We are looking at all the methods by which we fund the classrooms in Nunavut and the various components to ensure we are utilizing our dollars properly and that the funding formulas relate to our needs here in Nunavut.
So that is something that we are doing now.
I hope to complete it in late spring probably by the end of June.
I have been told that in Kugluktuk if a teacher has no assistant, it becomes very difficult in the classroom, and when they go home after teaching, it causes them concern because there are so many students in one classroom.
You need to be aware of the stress level.
They need teacher assistants.
When they don't have the assistants, it is not good for the students in terms of learning.
Once you begin to look at the number of teachers or students in the school system you need to be aware of the teachers that are available and there need to be assistants for those teachers in some cases.
I want this to be addressed in Kugluktuk because in the school those teachers that need assistants, it's becoming an issue and needs to be addressed.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Arvaluk did you want to raise a question.
Mr. Arvaluk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to report progress.
I will ask the members.
All in favour of the motion to report progress raise your hands.
We will continue.
We will proceed but before we continue, we will take a five or ten minute break.
>>Committee recessed at 5.02 p.m. and resumed at 5.18 p.m.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, we're back.
We'll get back to the Committee of the Whole.
We are on 9-14.
Mr. Havioyak, no, okay.
Mr. Arvaluk is not here. 9-14.
Any questions on 9-14.
Mr. Tootoo: I wish my colleagues across the floor would learn to “agreed” more often, not just in the Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Chairman, I want to touch on something one of my colleagues talked about earlier, in response to the Deputy Minister’s plan to look at keeping pace with the PTRs that's out there. In the Minister of Finance’s budget address he talks about 1.6 million dollars being thrown in there, to maintain the current ratio, and also he stated in there, this will mean approximately 20 new teaching positions across Nunavut.
I’d just like to ask the minister, is that 20 new teaching positions that weren’t already people teaching this year or is that just now out of the number of unfunded teachers throughout Nunavut that there are going to be 20 more funded ones.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: That is correct. That is for 20 new teachers, not existing today, that’ll start in September.
Mr. Chairman, I know that we raised questions about it last year.
There are a number of unfunded positions throughout, I think in every region in Nunavut, and to keep up with demand, they’ve had to hire additional teachers.
Those teachers, the funds for those teachers previously were obtained through the regional education council’s ability to save money, some of the surpluses that they had, I know that that’s where, I understand that that’s where the funding came from for those positions.
I’d just like to ask the minister right now, according to the formula, how many teachers we’re supposed to have in Nunavut right now and how many do we actually have right now.
I’m sorry that I don’t have the number of teachers presently.
We don’t have the information at this time but we will make that information available to the House tomorrow.
Chairperson (interpretation): The minister says that he will be giving the information tomorrow.
Does that mean that we’ll put off this portion of the budget until tomorrow.
I mean we have questions in relation to the budget here, I don’t feel comfortable in approving something unless I have the information.
So I mean here we’re supposed to be able to get the answers to our questions in relation to the budget and this is supposed to be when we ask the questions.
In question period, we get “I’ll wait until Committee of the Whole and I’ll have the answers for you”.
Mr. Chairman, on a number of questions already, it’s the first department where, I’m sorry we don’t have this information I think if we can’t get that information here to approve this budget, then, you know, after we approve it then does that mean the information may be irrelevant.
That’s my point Mr. Chairman.
I just want to ask the members what they want to do or what to do if Mr. Tootoo asks a question that he cannot get his response tonight and that he will get information tomorrow.
He wants to know if he, if we could move on to another page and leave this to come back to.
If the member is going to make a motion, if he wants to move to another page, that’s okay if he wants to do that.
Chairperson (interpretation): We have a problem with interpretation at this time.
Mr. Tootoo did not get what you said so, Mr. Nutarak can you please repeat yourself.
The member said that he does not want to leave this page behind until he gets the information but what I'm saying is that if he thinks that there's not enough money in this page if he's going to be trying to get some money added to these items then I can support him.
However, if he's not going to make a motion to make a change to this page I think that we can go ahead and continue on.
The number of teachers that the member was asking about, you could find it at 9-20.
We will get to 9-20 and under 9-14 I just wondered whether we are going to stop at 9-14 because there's a number of teachers that you can get the information from on 9-20.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you minister for the clarification.
If you could come up with the numbers by the time we get to that page that would be fine.
I only raised that question because one of my colleagues has raised it and was responded to earlier so that's the only reason I raised it at that time.
I figured it was mentioned already so this would be the place since it was responded to already.
So I just thought that this was a good time to do it.
But if we can get it on 9-20 or whatever it is, I look forward to asking that question there again.
If it's all right I can leave now and I have some other questions in relation to this page, Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): At this time we are on page 9-14.
Mr. Chairman, looking through this area and the rest of it, it is showing that a lot of the grants and contributions and things that were previously funded under this area have been moved to a different area.
I'm just wondering in the first paragraph where it talks about what this area does and it talks about the implementation of a bilingual language policy, I understand that there's a review either under way or done taking a look at the language of instruction.
I'm just wondering if the minister has any update as to when, if that's something that's covered in here and when we are going to see any of the results from that.
I'm sorry but I will get my Deputy Minister to make a clarification on that, Mr. Chairman.
The member is correct in referring to this section about the language of instruction report.
The report is done.
It's being translated.
The plan is to take it to Cabinet in the very near future.
I would say, subject to the Cabinet schedule, within three weeks and it would be made public very shortly after that.
Perhaps within another three weeks.
It is a very important report dealing with the issue of how to teach Inuktitut better in our schools and how to teach English better in our schools.
So approximate dates would be within 6 weeks this report will be complete and translated and available to the public.
I can't speculate as to what the outcome of that report will be, if there are any implications to the current system in the way the program delivery happens in the school.
Again, it has to be the decision of Cabinet to do that.
Will that have any impact, where will we see the financial impact of any changes outlined in the report.
The report, if it is adopted, will have significant impacts on what we teach and how we teach across Nunavut.
The impact Mr. Chairman, is a long-term impact.
It cannot be implemented overnight and it cannot be implemented quickly.
So it would take years and years to implement and would tie in, for example, to writing some of our curriculum.
Some of the grade levels differ, so that we not only teach differently in terms of language of instruction but we also have different and more supports.
So there will be implications for our education system, but they aren't implications that would hit today or tomorrow.
They are long-term implications over the next 10-20 years.
I look forward to the report.
It could mean some very exciting change for us to look at and I look forward to some positive change.
Also, in there it talks about accreditation of new programs, that falls under this area.
Now the only program that is left in this area is the teacher education strategy, and that is providing support to that program.
I am just wondering if that is the only program that is being looked at or are there other programs as well that are being looked at.
Is that what this new accreditation of new programs means.
Is that where the funding comes from like assistance for the teacher education program.
Is it under this area.
In the Teacher Education Program, in fact we are looking at with Nunavut Arctic College and their partner McGill University a new program that would provide new and exciting types of accreditation to our teachers here in Nunavut.
We hope in the new fiscal year with these partners to make available in Nunavut a middle school teaching certificate for our teachers.
This will allow Inuit teachers who are now primarily teaching in the primary grade levels, soon in fact, to teach in the middle school levels.
So acceptance and accreditation of that program in conjunction with Nunavut Arctic College and McGill University is something that we are planning to implement in the upcoming fiscal year as part of this budget.
While we are in the Committee of the Whole we are given 10 minutes for questioning. You had your 15 minutes of questions.
This will be your last question and from there, I will be asking the other members if they have any other questions.
Time goes by fast when you are having fun, Mr. Chairman.
On the accreditation program that the Deputy talked about, is it only accreditation of new programs in relation to the Teacher Education Program or do they look at accreditation for other post secondary education programs as well.
Mr. Chairman I just ask this because there was a Nursing Program recently announced by the government last year and we all know the troubles we are having obtaining and retaining nurses in our territory.
I'm just wondering if there's any thought to providing some type of assistance with the Department of Health to provide this support to these students and their programs in the future.