EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
That seems overwhelming to be done by one person. Many statements have been made about high school graduates in Nunavut who chose easy subjects and whose diploma is not even indicative of their actual grades.
This is especially true for youth who have aspirations of going to post-secondary education.
I also noted that perhaps it is due to unrealistic expectations since that priority is listed twice on page 92. I refer to (interpretation ends) bullet 5 and bullet 9, (interpretation) as the language seems very similar.
Could it be that by placing such emphasis on this priority that we forget what we are trying to produce?
Many parents harbour concerns about this and I cannot even add any further emphasis on that, yet I want to know what plans we have for the future the way the language is set up.
I refer to our curriculum and its (interpretation ends) quality (interpretation) related to standardization. I believe we were talking about having the same curricula anywhere in Nunavut.
For example, if you’re from Qikiqtarjuaq and you moved west to Kugluktuk, you should be learning the same subjects, perhaps even to Ontario, as this is hypothetical.
Has the review highlighted changes that are needed?
That is what I was trying to find out, but if he prefers not to respond, I can move to another subject.
In December, the Department of Education announced changes to the departmental exams written to assess students’ core knowledge on each subject.
I wanted to know if that means changes to the student marks or what changes were enacted for these final exams prior to students graduating, (interpretation ends) final marks.
(interpretation) In addition, I would like him to elaborate on the changes they have implemented and what improvements they expect from these changes.
Are your expectations higher with these changes as to the future numbers of graduates?
Let us all be aware that I’m pushing hard for this as well.
We try to initiate improvements in our schools because our students have to have all the abilities. We keep trying to find ways to improve things for our students.
That’s what we do in our schools because it is our mandate.
If you look at the grade 12 students, their education has to be the same if they’re going to graduate.
They have to be able to complete that standard in Nunavut that can be on par with what’s recognized in the rest of Canada. (interpretation ends) We have to use that standard. (interpretation) If I get my grade 12 from anywhere in Nunavut, then my grade 12 should be able to be applied anywhere in Canada.
That is always our goal for our schools.
We always say that that’s one of our first priorities, (interpretation ends) graduates equal to those from any school in Canada.
(interpretation) When our students are finishing their schooling and do their departmental exams, we have to do that because it’s the recognized way of testing to make sure the student will be allowed to graduate or not.
If our students are interested in going on to university or college, then they have to finish their grade 12 properly and complete the exams that they have to follow.
That’s what they have to do.
In the previous fiscal year, 2015-16, the departmental exams were changed by Alberta. It used to be 50-50.
They would look at the whole year for 50 percent of the mark. The whole year would be based on 50-50. Half of it would be based on your mark and the other 50 percent would be done through exams.
That has been changed. It’s now 70-30.
The 70 percent would be for the student’s progress. What the student does during the year in the school would be 70 percent and the exams would be the remaining 30 percent.
We can’t just give out grade 12 diplomas. We need to give out grade 12 diplomas that are properly recognized.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On page 90, you also state in your business plan that you’re creating a resource document that would be used in the Nunavut schools.
The title of the document is “It Starts at Home.”
It has been developed to provide “comprehensive information to school staff and families.” Can you describe the types of information included in this document and how it will be distributed to students and their families?
The resource document is called “It Starts at Home” because it really does start at home and how parents can be more involved.
As we stated, we’re working with ITK and NTI on this.
We go on CBC and APTN to explain how parents can be more involved with their schools for successful graduations.
I can give all of my colleagues a copy of the document that’s called “It Starts at Home.”
Anyone can get a copy.
Because we say that parents are the first teachers of kids, even before the children get into school, children start learning from their parents.
That’s the main reason for this document that’s called “It Starts at Home.”
As I stated, we work with ITK to develop this document. In 2015, they had $5,000 available that could be used so that parents can see how they can be more involved in the schools.
Arctic Bay’s Inuujaq School was one of the schools that requested money. The education authority would have radio shows about how they can better work together and how the parents can be more involved.
In Cape Dorset, the Sam Pudlat School and Peter Pitseolak School started using this as well.
From ITK, the $5,000 that they had available was for anybody to request.
Including Gjoa Haven, Igloolik, and Naujaat, this funding was used in the five communities for parents to see how they can be more involved in the schooling of our students. That was it up to now.
We’re going to keep running the ads on TV to show how parents can be more involved in the schools with the students.
The local DEAs will be doing more promotion of this as well.
I don’t know how long I have wanted to mention this. The information that the department provides encourages parents to participate and be more involved so that the students can graduate.
The department is trying to inform Inuit in English about this engagement activity, (interpretation ends) “Parents: Motivate. Students: Participate. Together we can graduate.”
(interpretation) It seems like there’s something missing and I just wanted to make a comment on that. For example, (interpretation ends) “Teachers: Educate” (interpretation) seems to be missing. It looks like this was forgotten.
Perhaps you can include that in your advertisement. It seems like these advertisements are missing that part.
I wanted to supplement the question that I had asked before in regard to attendance of our students, which is one of the issues the students face when they’re doing their school work and to pass.
Perhaps the department has more information to encourage various schools. I believe that there are incentive programs for students to attend school. There are incentives across Nunavut schools.
Can you provide further detail on how different school attendance initiatives are monitored? They should be monitored for success.
Is there an opportunity for the Department of Education to do that?
In regard to the comments he made earlier, yes, we are now reviewing that this year and we will review it again next year to see how we can improve what he just mentioned, (interpretation ends) “Parents: Motivate,” (interpretation) and even the one he just mentioned, (interpretation ends) Teachers: Participate.” (interpretation) I just wanted the member to know that we can look into that for sure.
That was the very first advertisement that we set up, but we’re always open to more suggestions on how we can improve that so that it can be clearer to the public.
We are reviewing some of these things.
For the last part of your question, we allocate funding to the DEAs annually, for example, to be used for student attendance money and that’s the title we use for that funding.
It’s geared towards incentive programs. We usually provide the local DEAs with funding for that incentive program for students to stay in school.
It can be used for various things such as on-the-land programs. It can be used for various programs.
That’s how we provide the funding for incentive programs to all local DEAs.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the minister for his response. Additionally, I wonder if this information will be disseminated to the DEAs, as this would allow them to research how other communities have undertaken these incentive models, perhaps as a way to encourage local DEAs of other ideas.
I am just commenting on that for now.
This will formulate my last question.
Your department recently introduced the (interpretation ends) learning coaches (interpretation) to assist within our schools.
This also related to the (interpretation ends) literacy coordinators, (interpretation) perhaps related to teaching reading skills.
I am unsure of the corresponding Inuktitut word.
Can you provide an update as to how this additional position has been implemented or the events that have transpired to date?
Do all communities have these positions and, if not, why not?
I just want that clarified for my information and that is my last question.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the member for requesting information on this initiative.
Absolutely, in reference to the (interpretation ends) learning coaches (interpretation) who provide assistance to our teachers, they are brand-new positions and they were set for all the communities.
To date, for the Kitikmeot region, seven of eight positions for the learning coaches are filled. For the Kivalliq region, 12 positions were identified and all 12 have been filled.
For the Qikiqtaaluk region, there were 22 positions identified. Just two of these positions have been filled, although we have earmarked 22 positions.
It is due to the difficulty of housing these positions that has created the barrier to hiring people for these positions.
Last year, that was an observation noted in the Baffin region as a shortage of staff housing resulted in our inability to fill them.
Also, in this fiscal year when positions are created, especially new ones, we have run into issues that I mentioned earlier, such as the school year already ongoing without people in the (interpretation ends) learning coach (interpretation) position.
That was an issue. As per my earlier statement as well, housing continues to be a barrier with (interpretation ends) staff housing (interpretation) shortages. Once we have resolved that challenge, the learning coach positions can be filled.
Let’s also note that positions eligible for housing are categorized differently, with some positions a priority for housing while others are placed on a waiting list.
That is how it usually is set for particular positions within government and in the Department of Education.
Due to that issue, the (interpretation ends) learning coach (interpretation) positions in the Baffin region have to be the priority, which is what we are focusing on.
Nonetheless, as per my earlier remarks about the positions in the other regions, the majority of positions in the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq are filled.
Yes, these are the challenges in the Baffin region, but when the positions were first created, we were supposed to have 22 in the Baffin region, 8 in the Kitikmeot, and 12 in the Kivalliq.
That is the overall number of positions for these (interpretation ends) learning coaches.
(interpretation) The other position we spoke about was the (interpretation ends) literacy coordinator. (interpretation) Perhaps the member may be curious about the numbers or maybe he would prefer a regional breakdown. I would ask that he identify which area he wants clarification on so that I can understand his concerns about this other position.
Chairman (interpretation): The member has run out of time.
One of the things that we haven’t talked about yet is the French school here.
I think it was last year, the French school was experiencing some real challenges in terms of its board of directors and the parents. There were a lot of angry parents.
I’m wondering if you can tell us what’s going on with that.
Are we all okay now or what’s your interaction with the French school as the Minister of Education?
I can clearly state that the board of CFSN and the Department of Education have improved their communication lines ever since there was a new chairperson and we have worked much closer with that organization.
The chairperson and I sometimes meet now to discuss CFSN issues. To date, we have developed a closer working relationship.
It is obvious that… .
How do I say this? What is that title? Let me read that quickly.
CFSN has received funding through the (interpretation ends) Canada-Nunavut agreement (interpretation) and the funding is provided to them.
It includes departmental funding as well from the Nunavut government.
They also get funding from the federal government to provide specific programs.
This is proceeding quite well.
I can state that our relationship has improved significantly now, Mr. Chairman.
I want to go on to ask something under G-12 again.
Mr. Enook raised some questions about the coalition. I’m wondering if you can tell us how the coalition reports back to the department for the money that they get each year.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Minister of Education, Mr. Quassa.
They get funding through a contribution agreement. It clearly indicates what the reporting requirements are.
They have to provide quarterly reports to us on the money they spent.
Just going down, I noticed as well that the National Arts Centre gets $93,000. How is the National Arts Center involved with the department?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The National Arts Centre (interpretation) works with schools throughout Canada.
It’s the same case with us.
This does not apply only to us. They also have a contribution agreement with different schools.
Please let me know if you need more information.
Ms. Angnakak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) What exactly is the $93,000 that we contribute used for?
Different communities utilize that funding. For instance, not just with us, they provide assistance to the communities.
If it’s okay with you, I will ask my deputy minister to provide more detailed information so that we can respond properly to her question, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): It’s totally fine with me.
Ms. Okpik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) We started working with the National Arts Centre a few years. I think it has been a very successful partnership with them. They have visited several communities across Nunavut and have done different types of initiatives, including music.
For example, at the high school, they had done fiddling. In the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, they had a symphony of fiddlers and then with the fiddlers group up here, so they were playing together.
We were really happy to get it down to just a very slight delay in the technology.
Along with doing technology in different locations, they will actually fly to different communities. It will include airfare, transportation of instruments, and those types of things.
As part of the contribution agreement, they give us a report back that shows where they have been and how many students that they have engaged with across the territory.
I’m sure we can provide that information through a letter because I think it’s a very successful program. (interpretation) Thank you.
I think that sounds wonderful.
The only thing I could say is that perhaps you don’t promote the good things in your department enough like things like that. I think they’re good to share.
I also see Nunavut Arctic College in here for $250,000.
We have often talked about inclusive education.
That’s the reason that Nunavut Arctic College is there.
This will provide assistance if we’re going to properly implement inclusive education.
The NTEP students need to be aware of what we’re planning to do in the future.
It helps through there. We can see at Nunavut Arctic College, as I stated earlier, it will be a supplement to be used by the Teacher Education Program students on inclusive education so that they could be more recognized in their abilities and that money is used for that.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) I have no more list of names.
I would like to put forward a motion.
I wish to move a motion to delete $14,000 from the main estimates listed in the budget estimates on page G-7.
Chairman: Please provide it. The motion is in order.
Mr. Enook, do you have a translated copy of your motion?
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, at this time, I don’t have a translated copy. If we can take a break, I can provide it.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) We will take a short break to translate and distribute the motion to all members.
>>Committee recessed at 17:36 and resumed at 18:01
Chairman (interpretation): All of you have a copy of the motion. (interpretation ends) Mr. Enook, for the record, please read your motion.
Committee Motion 001 – 4(3): Deletion of $14,000 from the 2016-17 Main Estimates of the Department of Education (Enook)
Yes, I’ll read it.
Mr. Chairman, I move that $14,000 in proposed grants and contributions funding for the “Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada” be deleted from the K-12 School Operations Branch of the proposed 2016-17 Main Estimates of the Department of Education.
I don’t have any more comments because we already discussed it and the motion is clear.
Chairman: Any other members wishing to speak to the motion?
Just for clarity and to ensure you recall, my colleagues, during the (interpretation ends) standing committee, (interpretation) I responded to that particular question by saying that we would no longer be using that fund. I also provided our reasoning for that change in the (interpretation ends) standing committee (interpretation) and I just wanted to clarify that statement as we have resumed this review. This is not the first time it has been presented.
I just wanted to make that point, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Any other members want to speak to the motion?
My motion is quite clear, so I don’t have a last reply.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) The debate is now closed. We will now vote on the motion.
We will now take a 15-minute break.
>>Committee recessed at 18:06 and resumed at 18:19
Chairman: I would like to call the committee meeting back to order.
On G-7. Branch Summary. Education.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted, as amended. $173,080,000.
On G-8. Education. Branch Summary.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $15,430,000.
Onto page G-9. Branch Summary. Education.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $7,423,000.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $2,443,000.
Go back to page G-3.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted, as amended. $205,465,000.
Chairman: Do members agree that we have concluded Department of Education?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation) Closing comments.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank my colleagues for approving our budget and I do recognize that scrutinizing the expenditures is something that is very useful. I’m sure that it will be of great benefit to our students, schools, teachers and, of course, the parents.
Thank you and have a good evening. (interpretation ends) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 13 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2016-2017 – Nunavut Housing Corporation – Consideration in Committee
Hon. George Hickes: Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.
Hon. George Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I have with me today Mr. Terry Audla, President of the Nunavut Housing Corporation, and Mr. Tim Brown, Director of Policy and Strategic Planning.
Chairman: Welcome, Mr. Audla, as this is your first appearance in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Hickes, please proceed with your opening comments.
Hon. George Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Committee Members.
I am very pleased to meet with the members of the Committee of the Whole today to discuss the 2016-17 main estimates and business plan for the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
As I had mentioned, I have with me today from the Nunavut Housing Corporation Terry Audla, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Tim Brown, Director of Policy and Strategic Planning.
The GN funding for the Nunavut Housing Corporation for fiscal year 2016-17 will increase by $12,321,000 from the 2015-16 main estimates.
$3,612,000 in supplementary funding to increase the utilities budget to cover water and electricity rate increases;
$660,000 to cover the net reduction in debt repayment to CMHC;
$4,542,000 to facilitate new staff housing units;
$3,386,000 to cover costs of new public housing units; and
$121,000 to cover the balance of the cost of 13 new positions that were created in fiscal 2014-15.
Mr. Chairman, with recent construction on 248 new public housing units, most of which were completed by December 2015, and an operating cost of approximately $26,000 per year per unit, the Nunavut Housing Corporation will require increased funding to maintain and operate these units.
Water and sewage costs are the largest single expense for public housing units. With periodic increases in water and electricity rates, NHC must increase its utilities budget to properly maintain its housing portfolio.
In 2015-16, the Nunavut Housing Corporation received significant capital funding for new staff housing construction. For this reason, 2016-17 will see an increase in GN staff housing units with construction of 43 new units to be completed as well as the potential for a number of new units to be leased.
2014-15 saw the creation of 13 new NHC positions. These new positions are critical to ensuring that NHC has the capacity to maintain its growing housing portfolio and to move the corporation away from its dependence on casual employees. A slight increase is required to cover the balance of the costs of these new positions.
As the need for public and affordable housing in Nunavut continues to grow and the costs of maintaining units rise, federal funding will be increasingly critical to ensuring that housing needs of Nunavummiut are met.
In 2016-17, we will be working closely with colleagues from other jurisdictions to lobby the federal government for increased funding for both capital and operating costs of social housing in Nunavut.
I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have regarding the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s 2016-17 main estimates and business plan.
Be mindful of the interpreters.
Mr. Rumbolt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good evening.
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to provide opening comments on behalf of the Standing Committee on Community and Economic Development on its review of the proposed 2016-17 Main Estimates and 2016-19 Business Plan of the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
The standing committee notes that the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed 2016-17 operations and maintenance budget of $196,177,000 has increased by approximately 6.7 percent since the introduction of its 2015-16 main estimates.
The number of positions in the Nunavut Housing Corporation is 114. This is a decrease of seven positions from the 2015-16 main estimates.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s 2014-17 business plan indicated that one of its priorities for the 2014-15 fiscal year was to “Establish [an] interdepartmental collaboration structure for the development of a multi-year Action Plan for the GN Comprehensive Long Term Housing and Homelessness Strategy.”
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s draft 2016-19 business plan indicates that a company had been selected in April of 2015 through an RFP process to develop this action plan and that “The final blueprint document will be developed in the spring of 2016 with tabling scheduled for fall 2016.” The standing committee looks forward to the timely tabling of this important item.