EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Moving forward, let me remind you that according to Rule 77(1), you are permitted with the routine. I am sure that when you make mistakes I will be informing you about it. Do members have any general comments?
Every one of you will eventually be coming to all of the subject matter.
If you have questions regarding the opening addresses, if you could wait until we begin to go page by page, I would like to ask if there are any general comments relating to the opening addresses.
On the second page of the opening comments it talked about the beginning of early childhood education.
In the work plan that was provided to us during the Office of the Auditor General’s review, it stated that in a couple months ago, April 2014, a new early childhood division would be created as well as securing funding for the new division and positions.
Has this been initiated?
I thank my fellow MLA for that excellent question. Most of us have grandchildren and we also have children so we must think about them carefully.
I can state now that there are approximately $600,000 that will be re-allocated to that question from the other budgets.
We have just recently redirected some financial resources, especially to those that are referring to the person who assess these kinds of things.
Thank you. Did I answer that, if I understood correctly?
Along those same lines, also in the work plan that was provided to us, under the early childhood portion of the Office of the Auditor General’s visit was DEA early childhood education funding, communicating funding procedures to the DEAs in early childhood programs. That was also to have been initiated in April as well as in May to develop the directives and forms for the funding procedures for funding.
Can I get an update?
Could we hear more on that, Minister Quassa?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the hon. member for that question.
The money directed to early childhood education will be used in that specific area.
I’m sure you have now heard that we have set aside $1 million for this purpose and we would also like to identify that we have redirected that money from other areas specifically for early childhood development.
Perhaps I will have my deputy minister elaborate further on this answer.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Quassa. (interpretation) Ms. Okpik, can you please add to that. Ms. Okpik.
I will clarify.
The minister talked about the Early Childhood Division, before it was transferred over to Family Services, they used to be able to regional DEAs. We were dealing mostly with the daycare functions. However, ever since this policy, we have two further PYs directed to this for support for these two functions.
However, we set aside money from within our own department and created a body to deal with early childhood functions. There will be two directors. One of whom will be dealing mostly with the daycare functions and the other one will be dealing with the development of early childhood.
These two will be dealing specifically with that. So we are strengthening this area. These directors would be reporting to me.
Also staying with the work plan under the Education Act implementation. In your opening comments in the second page it talks about bilingual Kindergarten through grade 12 programming in the work plan that was provided to us when the OAG was here.
There was an evaluation of the language of instruction implementation on K to grade three that is scheduled for this spring and summer. Has that been started? Or am I being a little optimistic that we’re already in the summer.
Although I touched up on it, but this fall these plans are to be implemented for the literacy program for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
For the next school calendar year. They will be implemented. Also HR studies are going to be reviewed.
We are now almost at the completion of the recommendations that will be implemented this fall. A balanced initiative will be implemented starting this fall.
Also scheduled to occur in the spring and summer of 2014 is determining the number of Inuktitut-speaking teachers needed in the short term.
I anticipate that this work has probably already begun by the time this work plan was put together. Would you be able to update the members on the status of that objective?
Hon. Paul Quassa: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I’ll just say that the HR database will give us that information on what next steps we need to take.
Along the same lines, it’s looking at the review of the curriculum and resource development plan at the K-4 grade level being implemented in the spring of 2014, which we’re currently in the middle of. Would the minister be able to educate me on the status of that objective?
In regard to this issue, we will have an in-service program not too long from now so that we can provide an in-service training program. At this time, we are working on various plans for the new school year. We have various plans in place for now.
We’re doing training programs and we will continue to do training programs. We are now working on the documents and reading material that will be used at schools.
We are working on a number of various plans to be used for the new school year.
Mr. Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to let the minister know, I’ll be asking the next few questions on the Young Parents Stay Learning program so that he can get his briefing note ready.
Mr. Chairman, going to the business plan on page 87, the funding allocated to the Young Parents Stay Learning program for 2013-14 was originally budgeted at $133,000, but information on page G-11 shows that the 2013-14 revised estimates for the Young Parents Stay Learning program was increased to $228,000.
Would the minister be able to educate me on why the cost of this program almost doubled from 2013-14? Is the number of young parents being supported through this program increasing or is the cost of subsidizing daycares increasing?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Hickes. (interpretation ends) As your Chairperson, I am wondering if these questions can be asked when we get to individual pages.
Mr. Hickes: If you wish me to, Mr. Chairman, I could. I was thinking I could get them over with now and speed up the process for later. It’s your call.
I guess it can work both ways, but for the sake of having to rule on it, we try and keep these comments to very general comments on the opening remarks.
With all due respect, Mr. Hickes, I think if I may, I’m going to ask all members to wait until we get to the appropriate pages to start asking your questions.
With that, I will continue, unless there are general comments to the opening remarks. We will now go page G-4 in the English version. (interpretation) Let’s go to that page.
You will have ample opportunity to ask your questions during the page-by-page review.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $1,196,000.
Before you start, if you have a question on this page please raise your hand ahead of time.
Thank you, Ms. Angnakak.
Ms. Angnakak: I have only one question for G-5 and that is in the budget purchased services revised estimates for 2013-2014 was $89,000. In the main estimates 2014-15 for Purchased Services was $139,000.
I’m wondering why there is an increase.
Mainly for providing information and consulting with the people as to the work we are going to be doing. Community and parent engagement to ensure we provide ads to the public.
It’s mainly for ads.
Ms. Angnakak, are you finished?
I just have a quick question on this.
In the policy and planning, a number of Nunavut communities have expressed the need for more day care spaces.
Does your review of early childhood education programming address this need, and if so, what consideration has been given to providing more support in this area?
At this time we’re doing the review. The review has just been initiated to find out what needs there are in our communities so we’ve just initiated the review at this time. We also do annual reviews of how many children need or require day care.
We do a survey every year on that. In the communities, they lack units for day care spaces. As I stated earlier on, we’re still analyzing or reviewing that.
Mr. Hickes: As the minister is very well aware, under our mandate Sivumut Abluqta, education is a very key component of what this government will be measured upon for the next three and a half years. One of your departmental priorities for 2014-15 is to continue work on the parental and family engagement campaign.
Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the minister can describe this campaign in further detail of what he’s anticipating on doing and indicate how it’s success will be measured?
Your question is geared towards our goals and objectives.
Parental and community engagement is just being initiated now, as I have stated before.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, ITK, will work together with them to make sure that the communities are involved in the parental and community engagement.
To date we’ve gone through CBC and APTN, we’ve shown these ads through the media to make sure that the children stay in school.
We will be publishing information to be used for parents, and also to encourage the students to stay in school. We’ll have those ads.
This coming week the deputy minister will meet with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, ITK, to discuss how we can engage the parents.
Let us all be aware that ITK requested help from the Nunavut government in regard to pursuing parental engagement and they stated that they will contribute $50,000 to this program and they asked the Nunavut government if we match that, and we have agreed to it.
I would just like to expand my response by saying we’ll be able to give you a detailed response next week.
Mr. Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll wait until next week to ask my question to the minister in the House then.
Moving right along. (interpretation) Whenever you wish to speak up, raise your hand up clearly. My eyes aren’t as sharp as they used to be.
We’re under policy and planning, and this is from the opening statement.
I just want clarification on one line there. In 2013-14 you began an important initiative that is helping to standardize our education system.
Just for clarification if that means a student in grade 6 in the small community will have the same academic standards as grade 6 here in Iqaluit.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the member for asking the question.
It basically means that the curriculum to make them absolutely the same in all schools in Nunavut, and also the assessments. We need to have proper assessments of students to see where they are at in their learning.
We’re trying to make it so that it’s the same in all of Nunavut.
If our children want to go any school in Nunavut, we want to see exactly the same thing available there too.
So that’s basically for the standardization of curriculum in Nunavut.
Mr. Savikataaq.;
I fully support his initiative for that because all schooling should be the same, no matter where you’re being taught within Nunavut with the same standards.
I now ask the minister if there is a difference in academic standards between small communities and larger communities at present.
Before I answer your question I would like to say that the math and the science has to be standardized and the English literacy instruction has to be the same as well.
Sometimes we end up using the NWT curriculum. If we are going to use them, we have to use them in all the schools.
Your question was in regard to standardization. Up until now, all of the schools have received the same curriculum.
The main difference up to this point has been where some schools are using slightly different curriculum than other schools, and we have given them direction to stop doing that and to try to use the standardized system.
If you do not mind, Mr. Chairman, one of my officials can further explain and give us a more detailed answer.
Ms. Okpik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Just to add a bit of detail and clarification for the question; the intent is to have the same standard across the whole territory.
We have identified the curriculum as an example that all schools will have to follow. We will be using the same assessment tool all across the territory in assessing the students.
For example, in terms of making sure that everybody has the same, we purchased math books for all schools where they have to use the same math book. We will ensure that the old math books come out of the schools so that there will not be different types of math books that students will be using.
I wanted to touch up on programming within communities; programming within communities is different. It is up to the local district education authority and the principal to determine the program plan and this will depend on the teachers that they hire.
For example, you may find some communities that may offer the 30-1 and 30-2 in English.
The 30-1 English allows an individual to enter universities. The 30-2 allows a graduate to enter into college.
There are different levels of programming that is available within the communities.
For example, you may have some smaller communities that may not be offering calculus, biology, or chemistry, but they may be offering the sciences.
In terms of programming, that is what we really need to take a look at, what is the community offering. You also have to work with the strength of the educators that are within the communities.
We are just finalizing a directive on distance education, right now, that talks about online/distance learning courses for programming that may not be available within the community.
We work with Alberta learning distance education specifically with this topic.
There are differences between communities with respect to what actual type of programming is offered within the school level.
Let me just remind everyone, as Chairman, and also the witnesses just to make sure that the people listening are understanding everything properly, let us make sure that we don’t talk too fast so that our very good interpreters can do their work properly.
I’ll ask a bit more on standardization.
Is that for all grades?
I think we have to be realistic that small communities cannot offer the same variety of courses as a large community and high schools. Would the standardization be both in elementary and high school?
Yes. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Yes.
On a different topic, your department has brought forward a number of new regulations to accompany the Education Act.
One of your department’s priorities for 2014-15 includes work on new regulations for home schooling.
What is the current status of home schooling across Nunavut and do you anticipate an increase in home schooling in the near future?
Chairman (Mr. Mikkungwak) (interpretation): Thank you very much.
Thank you to my colleague for asking the question.
We are just now going to start work on the regulations for home schooling for the first time.
We’re estimating that we would begin reviewing the regulations for home schooling in April 2015.
We have to go through consultations and as I stated in my opening remarks, I said that the regulations to the Education Act are very complex and we have to do various consultations. In regard to your question, we will only be starting that in April 2015.
When someone does start home schooling, does the Language of Instruction Regulations apply to home schooling?
I can tell my colleague that I don’t have the answer in front of me right now, but I can take it as notice and get back to him.
You’re done.
Following the list of names, Ms. Angnakak.
Ms. Angnakak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) I want to ask just a couple of questions in regard to legislation development and it has to do with child care facilities.
With the number of turnovers in regard to the staffing of child care facilities like the early childhood educator, how would you go about to ensure that early childhood educators know the Act that they operate under?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister, Mr. Quassa.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for that question.
In the Act, and under it’s regulations, it states that.
I’ve just signed a new directive to the DEAs in the communities as to how they can use that manual. I just signed a new directive on guidelines that day care workers will have to follow.
It’s under translation right now into Inuktitut. We will be putting out guidelines about that.
This fall, we will be tabling that to the House. We will be presenting these at the early childhood education workshop in the fall.
Ms. Angnakak: My last question on this section is when will a bill propose an amendment to the Child Care Act be introduced into the House?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the member for her question.
We have to have a process that we have to follow even though I can’t say exactly when that will come about. (interpretation ends) There are a lot of processes that we have to follow (interpretation) before the act is introduced.
We have begun to work on it.
Any other questions, Ms. Angnakak?
I don’t have any more names on (interpretation ends) Branch Summary. Education. Policy and Planning.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $1,458,000.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $3,320,000.
Sorry I got caught reading something and I almost let you approve the budget before I asked my questions.
Mr. Chairman, the government’s Inuit Employment Plan discusses the need for Inuit teachers and other education staff.
Here in the House we’ve heard this repeatedly, especially during the OAG’s report on bilingual education.
What is the department’s greatest challenge in this area and what is the plan to overcome these challenges?
That’s a good question from the member.
Ever since Nunavut came into being, that is what we want to accomplish and we want to have bilingual educators and we are always short of bilingual educators that are bilingual although we push for bilingual teachers.
I was wondering if the minister could educate me on what some of the specific challenges are in filling that need and what his department is doing to overcome those challenges.
I can answer with one word because they have to have the want to be a teacher or have the need to become a teacher. (interpretation ends) I think the fact that it is a matter of those graduates who want to become teachers. (interpretation) They have to want to be teachers.
In 2014, we know that there are 22 teachers that will be graduating, which is a big help to our department and there will be 22 graduates.
Since 2006, there have been 107 Inuit teachers that have graduated.
I would like to also state that the Department of Education gave $2.2 million for teacher education, which is Nunavut Teacher Education Program.
In 2014, there are people that went to school in Iqaluit, Gjoa Haven, Arviat, Rankin Inlet, Sanikiluaq, Cape Dorset, Clyde River, Pond Inlet and Hall Beach. Those are the teachers that are taking the teacher education at the present time.
As I mentioned in some of my lines of questions during Oral Questions today, the signing with the NTA the finance in your department is a big step so obviously teachers are comfortable with the amount of money they are making.
I know that with a little bit of interest that you mentioned since 2006 there has been 107 Inuit NTEP grads that coincided with the Minister of Education of the day tabling the government’s 10-year teacher education strategy that is scheduled to go from 2006 to 2016.
Although the strategy came into effect before the current Education Act, how is the strategy being used today to increase the number of bilingual educators across Nunavut?
We would like to review the Teacher Education Program. (interpretation ends) We will be reviewing the Teacher Education Program. On top of that, we will have vice-principal/principal training programs going on.
Aside from that, we’re also doing a lot of other training programs, such as student support assessments, school community counsellor training programs. There are various training programs.
I’ll go back to the fact that we will be reviewing also the Teacher Education Program. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It sounds as if your department’s Human Resources Development Division is almost as busy as the Policy Development Division.
Under the proposed funding for corporate services, there’s an increase of a little bit over $600,000. Would the minister be able to explain what the purpose of this increase in funding is?
We will be able to respond to the member’s question.
Perhaps I can talk about it a little bit. There are $251,000 that we are going to be using for transporting of supplies for the schools and for such things as computers, about $100,000, the hard drive disc, coming in from Saskatoon, $63,000 will be used for school materials and for storage, as well as for various licences, such as Pearson Equella licences.
For computers, it’s $55,000 to $66,000.
Those are for various equipment for the schools.
Chairman (Mr. Enook)(interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Quassa.
That $100,000 for computers, is that the computers that are being provided to the daycares?
We will be using that only for the schools proper.
Just one last question, and I believe the deputy minister may have answered a portion of this during the Auditor General’s sitting, but is the new student information system set up in all the schools right now and do they have all the necessary technology to support this new system?
I am happy that I can answer yes in the affirmative.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Quassa. (interpretation) We’re on page G-6.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $3,320,000. Are you in agreement?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Moving on to G-7.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $154,135,000.
I have to be awake here.
My question is what responsibilities does the coalition have under the Education Act?
Chairman: Qujannamiik, Ms. Angnakak.
Inside the Education Act, it is stated that in terms of what the district education authority responsibilities are. The terms and references are stated clearly in the Act.
The teachers have the authority that coalition in the regions and employees have to be responsible and so the budget that will be used by the DEAs in the communities are reviewed through that process and also they identify issues to be forwarded to the minister.
We have regular meetings with them. We will be meeting with them again in the next week in relation to dealing with the training plan of the district education authorities.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Quassa.
I’m wondering about the DEAs, do they have the authority to hire and fire teachers?
The district education authorities are consulted only by the teachers. They can be part of the process but they do not have the hiring and firing powers. It is the principals that have that authority.
Thank you for that answer, minister.
My next question is can we get a break down on how the proposed budget will be used?
Which budget are you talking about?
Thank you, Ms. Angnakak
Ms. Angnakak: The money slated for DEAs and the Coalition.
Thank you for her clarification.
They are set up thusly: the local DEAs, for executive meetings it’s set aside $47,000, $185,000 for annual meetings, $5,000 for teleconference calls, $205,000 for other support, $40,000 for travel, $82,000 for translation services, $35,000 for office supplies, $30,000 for education purposes, $36,000 for office expenses and leases with a total of $665,000.
Chairman: Qujannamiik, Minister.
Thank you for that breakdown.
My next question has to do with coalition again.
I would like to know how many PYs does the coalition employ?
This is an excellent question. I will answer it properly.
We only have identified two employees, one for the executive director, and the other for executive assistant.
We have only set aside budgeting for those two positions; however, if the coalition wishes, they can also hire more employees as and when needed.
The amount of funding provided to DEAs will decrease in 2014-15.