EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
When I was campaigning to get elected I wanted to get the income support increased, and I am happy to say that this has been done by the minister. I give the appreciation for that.
In Arviat last winter they had a hard time in trying to acquire funding for income support and there are a lot of people in Arviat that have lived in the inland.
They didn’t have any country food so they had no choice but to buy from the store.
I am happy to say that income support for food money has been increased, and I really appreciate that.
I would also like to say it should be considered that some communities during some winters have an abundance of caribou meat, where some don’t have as much as the other communities.
So, could the income support could be adjusted somehow; if there is an abundance of country food, to be able to adjust it to be able to provide more food for the have-not communities. The communities that don’t have as much country food should be consulted, to give more to the have-not communities than the others.
I know we’ll find out again this coming winter that it might happen that way.
And at this time I would like to give appreciation to the minister, and thank you for letting me have my comments.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Alagalak.
General comments, Mr. Kattuk.
Although I don’t have that many general comments to make; I’ll make mine brief.
As Mr. Curley stated earlier, some of us did not have formal education. I’m very glad that we have come a long way. Back then we went through difficult times.
Life has not been easy for us because we had to leave our families to attend school at another location. It was very stressful for me, but I am very pleased at where I am today.
In the last five years I have not been living in my community.
Due to schooling I have lost some of my Inuktitut language, and I have lost some of my kinship terminology. But, I am very proud to say that today my family members are very understanding in my home community.
The Department of Education…. I am very pleased and proud of the department because the teachers, literally, are taking care of my children while I attend the session here.
Our students are taken care of in schools, and we are very proud of it.
But, at times the students have to face peer pressure and bullying, which is visible in some schools.
In spite of that, I could say that when I was a student the culture was totally different from the current school system now, according to the acts.
When I was going to school, if I did something wrong the teachers had the authority to reprimand me. But nowadays, what we see today, the students, even if they do something wrong….
Because of the laws, we have to abide by the laws, you cannot do anything to the students.
Even if the students do something wrong they are not reprimanded.
Mr. Chairman, the eduction bill….
I anticipate the tabling of the education bill, and I will work to the best of my ability to support it. I will give my full support to the education bill. I would like to fully participate during the process so we can build capacity for our younger generation.
Also, back then, we used to have different subjects such as heavy-equipment operators and so on.
We had to attend those kind of trade schools outside of Nunavut.
Back then you trained to be a mechanic, but with the new technology you need computer technology to become a mechanic.
For that reason I am sure the minister can consider getting a trades program in Nunavut by working with Arctic College officials.
We definitely need some form of trade school in Nunavut for students who have completed grade 12.
So that we can give more opportunity to Nunavut individuals to further their education, it’s becoming evident now that we definitely need a trade school.
So, I would urge the minister to consider establishing a Nunavut trade school.
Also, in regards to income support programs…. Although it’s been mentioned, I would like to make a comment on it.
The income support program…. Not too many people at the local level understand the policy of the income support program, especially the clients.
Perhaps the income support workers at the local level can be made to understand the policies or can be made to understand what kind of authority they have within the policy.
Perhaps give support to the communities so that income support clients can have better knowledge of all the policies, because the majority of the community residents don’t understand them.
If there was this individual who escorted his father on medical travel, and he was unable to get his full income support because he was escorting his father…. He could only receive a part of his income support.
So, I would like to find out what the policy is; if I am to follow my father on medical travel, and if I’m on income support, they would cut my income support and I would be given only part of the income support that I was eligible for.
One individual came to complain to me that his income support was cut because he followed his father on medical travel as an escort.
So, the community has to be made to understand these policies.
Mr. Chairman, that is the end of my general comments.
Chairman Thank you, Mr. Kattuk.
I have no more members on my list.
Sorry, Mr. Tootoo.
I know that when my colleague from Arviat indicated that he was happy that the minister was now at the helm of the Department of Education…. Mr. Chairman, with all due respect I would like to reserve my happiness to ensure that he has more success with this portfolio than he’s had with a couple of his other portfolios in the past.
So I’ll reserve my right to be happy until after we see some results.
Some of the other things that I wanted to mention…. I know it’s been an issue over some of the challenges facing the education system, and this one is having some kind of a standardized system, or something to be able to evaluate where our students are.
Whether that be through any kind of a standardized curriculum, or something…. I know that’s something the department is looking at.
I hope that they continue to look in that area to try to develop something there that will work for our students, so that we can measure the success of the system and identify potential weaknesses within the system as well.
Any system that is developed, I kept in mind right from the beginning, that is used as a tool to evaluate our system….
I think that’s something we always have to continue to do: to try to look for ways to improve what we have.
I hope the minister and his staff use that approach in developing some type of standards to evaluate our system in the reform process that they’re going through.
Another thing I think is important, I know that it was raised throughout the campaign by individuals I’m sure not only to myself, to the minister, and I’m sure to other members as well, is the idea of an Inuktitut, or a cultural school.
One of the things that I believe this government has said is it needs to do is to look for partnerships and work with partners.
I think this is an area where we have the opportunity to work with a partner like Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, to have them come up with a proposal to develop some framework for a cultural school.
I think that our first priority as a government…. I know that the minister is quite aware that there are quite a number of concerns and problem areas within the department.
That should be our first priority to focus our attention on. Address those needs before tackling new initiatives at the department.
I just suggest the idea that there is a potential to work with someone else, to have them deliver something like that.
That, I know, could be greatly appreciated by many young people across the territory.
We know that our system is basically an academic system right now, and you need to be diversified.
The mines are coming: mineral exploration. There’s going to be a high need for trades.
We need to diversify our system in that way.
I don’t think our education system and our Department of Education are the experts in working on a cultural school program. Maybe an organization like Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated might be more appropriate to develop something like that, and to find the ways in which we can work in partnership with them on that.
That would probably run a lot quicker and smoother if it was developed through there as well, Mr. Chairman.
One of the other areas I talked about earlier, and I know that the minister has indicated, is that the formula is inadequate.
And just to have it on the record, I know one of the things and concerns that have been voiced in the past is allocating the teachers for the schools through the formula.
If whatever type of formula is used….
There has been a concern coming from the administrators, from people within the system, and from the district education authorities to take the councillors, the principals, the support staff, and the administration staff out of the formula so that it deals strictly with teachers and educators within the system.
I know the other people are administrators, and they run the schools.
They don’t teach the programs, and I think that’s where we to…. That could be a way to help focus and to be able to put more resources into the classrooms.
I think that’s another suggestion I’m sure the minister is working on;I know that he’s aware of it.
I just wanted to make sure that it’s on the record so that he doesn’t forget.
Mr. Chairman, another area that is of great concern…. I know here in Iqaluit it has been raised; it has also been raised by other members in the past.
It is in regards to childcare and a preschool program.
I think that’s something that could go hand in hand.
If you look here and I’m sure in other communities, soon, especially in the decentralized communities where it’s going to be growing, there is going to be a greater demand for childcare.
I know here the waiting list is longer than the spaces available.
I’d really like to see the department look at developing options to be able to help deal with the crisis here.
I think that a preschool program that targets children from 3-5 within the school system could help alleviate some of that problem in the daycares where they don’t have the room.
That would take those children out of the daycare system and put them into a preschool program and make available spaces for the younger children that there is no space for.
Another area of concern: I don’t know where to direct it to, and I’m just making note of some areas I mentioned earlier, about increases and decreases over previous years.
The DEA contributions is a decrease in funding, although if you look at it through some of the numbers between the main etimates and the business plan, I guess they are a little confusing.
I’d just recommend that the minister take back to where it will have consistency in how they present the numbers, some numbers where it uses this year’s main estimate amount to the previous year’s either revised estimates or the main estimates.
In different cases, it’s just the optics of it I hope, it looks like there’s been an increase.
If you look at the original amount or the revised amount, depending on which one is used, there’s actually a decrease.
I think there needs to be some consistency, not just picking the higher or lower number to make the optics of it look good.
Let’s just show the true numbers to give a better, less confusing, accurate picture, that the final numbers have some consistency used in numbers.
Sometimes we’re not using the main estimate number from 2003-04, sometimes the revised 2003-04 estimates, depending on which one’s higher or which one’s lower. And it seems to be there in a number of cases throughout the business plan and the main estimate.
I would just like to ask the minister if he could suggest for clarity and consistency that the same numbers be used throughout the whole business plan as compared to the main estimate.
That’s it, Mr. Chairman.
I know I’m going to have a few questions for the minister and his staff as we go along.
I have no more members on my list for general comments.
We will now proceed to the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates starting with page G-5.
Members agree?
Page G-5, education branch summary.
Directorate. Total, operations and maintenance: $1,162,000.
Depending on which number you look at, I guess, the main estimates from last year showed $725,000 under compensation and benefits, and the revised amount is $670,000 in compensation and benefits.
It was an increase of $905,000. I’m just wondering if the minister could explain the increase there.
Was there an increase in PYs? . Was there an additional directorate staff put in place?
Or was this just strictly a result of collective bargaining?
The member is correct on the amount of the increase based on the bargaining.
I just wanted to take this opportunity, if I may just to refer back to his earlier comment on the minister and how he would hold his praise, as it were, until the minister had an opportunity based on these other two departments….
I can say two things in the Committee of the Whole that I wouldn’t say in the full House, and those two things are these:
We brought in the strongest tobacco act ever in Canada.
We’ve opened up more new facilities; the new mental health facility, more psychiatric nurses, the first Nunavut-wide homecare program, as well as the nursing program.
I could go on, but I won’t.
You will never be blamed for doing something when you haven’t done anything.
So I would like to have some members’ questions on education specifically by saying the member is correct.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Picco.
I should thank the minister.
It’s not often that he makes an indication that I’m correct on something.
I would like to ask him if he could clarify what I’m correct on.
I asked if it was as a result of collective bargaining, or was it a result of increased PYs.
So, which one am I correct on?
If I may, I’ll go through what the changes are for the member.
The difference is $185,000. From the $720,000 to the $905,000, there are monies that are increased.
The benefit calculation….
And that includes for the deputy minister’s office, the two assistant deputy minister support positions and the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit coordinator, as the member has indicated.
And those would be just salaries for the actual increase.
It is the benefit calculation that the member talked about.
Also in this area, under grants and contributions, there is $100,000 for the district education authority contribution.
I’d like to ask: one, why is it in this area, when all the grants and contributions to the district education authority contributions are in a different area of the budget?
So, I would just maybe ask why that a separation on that.
When I talked earlier about the confusion between numbers and all, if you look at the…. I’ll point out when we get to the appropriate section in the main estimates that they’re between the main estimated amount for last year and the revised amount in this year’s amount.
Depending on which number you use there is an increase or a decrease.
I think if you use the budgeted amount, the initial budgeted amount from the previous year, there is a $200,000 decrease.
So, I’m just wondering if $100,000 of that was moved to this area? Or is this new funding altogether, and there’s actually a $200,000 decrease over last year in district education authority funding?
The $100,000 is actually a territorial-wide amount of money given to the district education authorities for special-needs students.
I guess one of the reasons why some of it is directorate is because there’s a special-needs component.
Again, it’s a contribution to the district education authorities.
I know that further on, when we get into school operations, there is a district education authority contribution in there.
It’s new here.
Then is there a decrease in that amount under that area of $200,000 over the revised number from last year.
Does this $100,000 come out of that $200,000, or is this an all new $100,000 that wasn’t included in last year’s amount anywhere?
As we get further on into the budget over the next couple of days in the department…. That money was an over. Some of the members of the committee will remember when we discussed these in the committee, that was an over contribution to the district education authority in one community.
They were over compensated by that amount and that’s why that amount was taken out.
Some of the committee members will remember that question, therefore and thus this amount that was taken out from that line item.
The $100,000 that the member asked again…. The member is correct; it is new money in there.
The reason why it is in the directorate is because it is a territory-wide amount.
And if there is a need for special-needs students we would have that $100,000 available as extra help that could be brought forward from the Department of Education, for example, if a DEA came forward with the needs.
That is the reason why the money is held in the director’s branch in this case.
The subtraction of this amount that the member talked about is not actually a decrease in the amount of funding given out. It was because one community had received twice the amount of the allocation.
I thank the minister for saving me asking that question when we get to the appropriate place.
Just on this funding…. I know that there has been a big cry for special-needs support within the classrooms.
How would someone go about applying for this funding?
Is this funding that they apply for?
Is there a cap per community?
Is there a cap per school?
I am just wondering if the minister that is there can explain how that works because I am sure that there is a great demand for that.
I will leave it at that before I go on to my next question.
The department realizes that there are huge needs out there in our communities for children with special needs.
On top of the other monies that are already in the budget, that the member had talked about, this additional $100,000 would be available.
So, if there are issues occurring in any given community where there are children with special needs, who need extra help, there is extra funding to be made available.
This money is allocated on a first-come,first-served basis. It is in addition to all the other monies that are found within the budget for special needs.
Individual DEAs would have an opportunity to go, for example, to the regional education office in their region.
And that request would find its way to the director or to the ADM, the DM office, for approval.
That is how the process has been and that is what we would hold that money in place for.
Just on this, the minister had indicated that there is a huge demand for special-needs funding out there.
Is there any criteria to put in place because there is special-needs funding, whether it be for someone that has FAS, or FAE, the other thing in there related to fetal alcohol problems, things with people with hearing impairments, speech problems, any other kind of special needs that could be out there, if someone’s physically or mentally challenged.
Is there a criteria? Could this funding be applied for by any one of those areas for people? Because, I will use an example here in Iqaluit I am aware of….
I am sure the minister is as well…. There was, a couple of years ago, a school that was looking for support, like a half-time special-needs assistant, or a classroom assistant, and they had a number of students in their school that were physically or mentally challeged, that required more than…. You know, just that one student required more attention than the allocation for the school on a regular basis.
I am just wondering how that would be determined.
Are there any things that would be included, not included, like a teacher or a principal that would bring the request to the district education authority that was then forwarded on for any type of special-needs problems that they may have in the classroom?
Issues about fetal alcohol syndrome, FAS and fetal alcohol effect, are some of the areas where this money could come into play.
As I said earlier, it’s new money. And as the member said in his opening comments on the budget of education, like most of the budgets that we are dealing with they are budgets brought forth by this government to give the ministers and so on an opportunity to massage the budgets and bring forth new initiatives.
I was able to find an extra $100,000 in the budget for areas of special needs that the member is talking about that we’ve heard in the past.
That is why that new money is in there.
We’re working out some of the criteria screening right now for the application process.
After the budget is complete, that would be in place and the district education authorities, or the DEAs, would have an opportunity, probably in the fall, the new school year, to be able to look at their special needs and have an opportunity, above and beyond what’s already allocated in the budget for special needs, to be able to apply on this $100,000.
I would agree with the member that it isn’t very much, based on the needs that we have there.
That’s one of the reasons why we hoped to be able to bring forward some of the changes, that we talked about in the committee, in the Department of Education and the budget.
Mr. Chairman, I’m very delighted to hear that the minister himself found this money out there to put towards that. I commend him for that; I wish him more luck finding more money. I think he’s going to need it.
On his last comments he indicated that the DEAs’ criteria weren’t yet developed. They’d be able to apply for that in the fall.
He had indicated that this funding won’t be available until the next school year, and it would have to be used between the fall and March 31 next year.
And that the schools or DEAs would not be able to apply for access to any of this funding for the remainder of this fiscal year, which is pretty much a quarter, a third of the year.
I guess what I’m saying is that new money within the money we talked about…. I think we clarified that point.
But, I can’t release any of those funds until the budget itself is clean and complete.
I’m thinking if we finish the budget within the first week in June, let’s say by June 3-4-5, then the monies that are allocated within the framework itself, those would be available.
But by that time, most of us, for example outside of Iqaluit… . A lot of schools are finished then; school year has ended.
Here in Iqaluit, it goes on until the twenty-sixth of June, but many of our schools are finished, and many of our communities’ DEAs wouldn’t be meeting.
That’s why I suggested that in the fall, in August and September when the enrollments are looked at in the new school year, a particular DEA may say we have a special-needs case here, and we need some extra funding, and then we would be able to look at the Department of Education.
Those monies will be available, as I said earlier, based on a first-come-first-serve basis, after the approval process that is in place for the department on the allocation of the $100,000 for special needs.
I would expect the uptake on the program to be this fall, but it would be in place, of course, if not accessed, up to the fiscal year ending which is, as the members know, March 31.
I’m confused, I guess. I know that the minister has indicated that this wouldn’t go until the whole budget is approved in June.
My recollection…. I know it hasn’t stopped the government in the past from spending money prior to that; once we approve, here in Committee of the Whole, this page, it’s pretty well saying that it’s out there, it’s going to go ahead.
I’m just wondering…. If that’s the case, past practice is if there were district education authorities…. If we approve this today, if the district education authorities wanted to call up their regional office tomorrow and ask for funding, basically it’s there?
I’m just wondering if I could ask the minister if they would be willing to do that, in keeping with how things have been done in the past on spending money.
No, I would not agree with the member on the process that he’s outlined.
The reason why I would suggest that is because of what happened today for example.