EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As you can appreciate, there is a lot to remember when you’re the finance minister, HR stuff, QEC, and everything else I’ve got here. I have a lot of paper on my desk, but not enough room on my desk for all the paper I have to look through here.
I did check with my deputy minister and he confirmed that it will be part our comprehensive tax review.
I think we have been talking about that since last year. It will be part of that through this mandate. I believe that in the new fiscal year, we will get to that.
Your final supplementary, Mr. Hickes
So the minister was able to commit to something.
Yesterday, I was also speaking into this benefit with regard to casual employees. I spoke to the minister after my questions yesterday and apologized for some of the terminology I may have used with my wording during my question.
I did not mean in any way or form to insinuate that the minister did not respect members of our public service and I apologize if it came across that way, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, when I’m looking at, as I mentioned yesterday, the criteria of the household subsidy program, it is available to all eligible indeterminate and term employees of the Government of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, when I look over the collective bargaining agreement with NEU, it speaks that “The Employer may hire casual employees for a period not to exceed four (4) months of continuous employment in any particular division or department.
Where the Employer anticipates the period of temporary employment to be in excess of four (4) months,” which we have all acknowledged that there some people on term CSAs for numerous years, some as high as six or seven years, to continue, “the employee shall be appointed on a term basis and shall be entitled to all provisions of the Collective Agreement from the first day of his/her employment.”
I would like to ask the minister again, during their review of this program and through discussions maybe through the Department of Justice or within their own regulations or legislation, whether they will take a look at including long-term casual employees into this program.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minster of Finance, Mr. Peterson.
I sort of anticipated that Mr. Hickes would come back to me today with this question.
It is very clear in the household allowance on the Department of Finance website. It says, “The Household Allowance is a subsidy of $400 per month and available on a per household basis. It is available to all eligible indeterminate and term employees of the GN, a Public Agency or the Legislative Assembly and who are not already receiving a similar allowance.”
That being said, term employment is one option of the Human Resource Manual section 513. It is quite clear what is a term employee. “Term employment is one option to meet temporary business needs.
Term employent is for a fixed period at the end of which an employee ceases to be employed,” and then there are provisions. Through the process for term employment, the departments have to submit a job action request and it has to go through a competitive employment opportunity for a fixed duration longer than four months.
Although some of the casuals do go beyond four months, they would not be considered eligible for this program.
Mr. Speaker, I would be prepared to help Mr. Hickes out. We will look at this household allowance going forward and see if it’s nessescary to make some changes.
The time for question period has expired and we have to go to Item 7 in the Orders of the Day.
Prior to going to Item 7, I just received a news item which I want to share with you, as it was brought up in a Member’s Statement about the screening tonight. The title of the film is (interpretation ends) Nowhere Land. (interpretation) The member forgot the title and I am sharing that with you.
This was given to me just now.
Item 8. (interpretation ends) Returns to Written Questions. (interpretation) Item 9. (interpretation ends) Replies to Opening Address. (interpretation) Item 10. (interpretation ends) Replies to Budget Address.
Tabled Document 108 – 4(2): Hamlet of Baker Lake Presentation to the Nunavut Impact Review Board on the Kiggavik Project (Mikkungwak)
I wish to table today a copy of the Hamlet of Baker Lake’s presentation to the Nunavut Impact Review Board concerning the proposed Kiggavik project.
In accordance with the authority provided to me by Motion 9 – 4(2), the committee will stay in session until it reports itself out.
>>House recessed at 15:13 and Committee resumed at 15:37
Chairman (Mr. Akoak): Good afternoon, Inuit and Nunavummiut, (interpretation) the listening and viewing audience. (interpretation ends) It’s good to be back at home.
Mr. Chairman, we wish to continue with the review of the 2015-16 Main Estimates of the Department of Education, followed by the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Are we in agreement that we continue with the main estimates for the Department of Education?
Chairman: Is the committee agreed that the minister’s staff go to the witness table?
Chairman: Iqsuktii, please assist the staff to go to the witness table.
Minister, please introduce your staff.
With me to my left is Kathy Okpik, Deputy Minister of Education, and to my right is Mark Rose, Comptroller.
We were on page G-4. Directorate. Education.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $1,241,000.
Chairman: Now we are on Branch Summary. Education. Policy and Planning.
My first question will be to the Minister of Education.
A number of Nunavut communities have expressed the need for more daycare spaces.
Does your review of early childhood education programming address this need and, if so, what considerations have been given to providing more support in this area?
Chairman: Thank you. My apologies. We’re on G-5.
Early childhood education is very important for children who haven’t gone to kindergarten yet.
Early childhood education planning is under review and we are trying to see what we have and where the gaps are.
We will be looking at different things in the review to see how many childcare spaces are needed, who is still waiting for daycare space, and what other support we need to bring to them.
We are all aware that more child care spaces are necessary. In Iqaluit, we have seen a greater need for the infant spaces. We know that they require more space for the infant daycares.
The reviewers, caretakers, and teachers are only allowed to care for four infants per daycare. If we look at the preschools, they can handle up to eight infants in the daycare. We know of these things and this is all part of our review, which is quite comprehensive.
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman I know in Baker Lake, the daycare centre is always full because it’s too small.
I know that people in Baker Lake have been trained in early childhood education and we’ve had some people take those courses.
Now, those people who have completed those courses will eventually need a job. After they complete their courses, they may end up getting workspace in schools in the future.
Where are the trained early childhood educators going to be working?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker or I mean Mr. Chairman.
I’m sorry, but I will be saying “Mr. Chairman” for the time being.
Obviously, there are participants who are enrolled throughout Nunavut in the (interpretation ends) early childhood education (interpretation) classes and we have a program offered here in Iqaluit. I have seen students at these programs, including in other communities, and I am very appreciative of that and we take pride in these programs, especially since we need more programs everywhere.
Now, with respect to early education teachers who will work in these programs, there is an application form they can use, as this is part of the normal hiring practices where candidates apply for positions at the place of employment they are interested in and this process would follow that practice.
It seems obvious to me that if they are residents of Baker Lake and there is room for this program to be housed in, then these proposals can be screened carefully.
Additionally, the position that we have continued to voice as the Department of Education is whenever a new school is identified for construction or if an existing school gets an addition, space will be set aside for daycare centres. These are our future workspaces.
We are aware of the current situation in Baker Lake as there is only one daycare at this time.
We know that there are 20 spaces for normal daycare provision and four infant spaces in the existing daycare in Baker Lake. We know that is the current number of spaces.
As per my earlier statement, the students who took the (interpretation ends) early childhood educators (interpretation) program will have to apply towards the positions in their community, but we do urge them to succeed in their chosen profession.
This daycare centre in Baker Lake is constrained as it is too small. The children cared for in this space are running out of space and this is without meeting current local demand for space.
Has the Department of Education ever taken into consideration the number of students in the higher grades, as some students bear children while in high school?
I believe the students at the high school have spaces set aside, but I wonder about work placement or high school child care training courses and if the Department of Education has ever given thought of that as a potential course in the high school.
Can these courses only be taught outside of the school system for the child care workers?
Hon. Paul Quassa: Qujannamiik, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) Let me reiterate this statement regarding students in the (interpretation ends) early childhood educators (interpretation) courses. If they can’t get a position at the daycare centre, then they can also apply to the high school as teachers. That is one possibility.
Based on my earlier comment, there is a new high school in the works for Baker Lake and obviously, based on those comments, any new school construction design has to include daycare spaces.
That will also occur in Baker Lake.
Further, I am just repeating this because again, our students in that course have to have positions in the schools to utilize their skills. We want to see that in Baker Lake and we encourage them to apply, as they can also be (interpretation ends) substitute teachers (interpretation) when the need is there.
Even with the ECE certification only, they can apply for the other positions.
When a new daycare is opened, as we know there is currently only one daycare in Baker Lake, they can apply for the positions.
That is all I can detail at this time. (interpretation ends) Qujannamiik, Mr. Chairman.
We are on Branch Summary. Education. Policy and Planning.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $1,669,000.
Now we are on Education.
Branch Summary. Corporate Services. Total Operations and Maintenance.
I believe I just have one question under this category.
In the government’s Inuit Employment Plan, it discusses the need for Inuit teachers and other education staff.
In the letter to the chairperson of the standing committee on oversight of government operations on the OAG report on the implementation of the Education Act, the letter from the department stated that they’re having some challenges getting data.
It states, “Without this data, it is difficult for the department to assess the number of bilingual teaching staff we need in order to successfully implement language of instruction.”
Can the minister maybe describe what some of those challenges are in accessing the correct data?
Hon. Paul Quassa: Qujannamiik, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) Thank you for posing that question, my colleague. (interpretation ends) I’ll just switch to my English language.
Right at this time, we don’t have that information.
Our human resources department does not do that at this time.
I think that that type of information is valuable and we certainly need a more efficient database to reflect our employees’ skills and work history. Certainly, the database is an integration of the existing teacher certification database with an in-house developed HR database.
Certainly, the newly created database will host data for both teaching NTA staff and our NEU staff.
Again, for example, it can provide us with data on language usage with respect to the bilingual bonus and who on our staff is proficient in Inuktitut, which was one of the main items of the Office of the Auditor General, which indicated that it felt that my department did not adequately address.
As you know and I can inform the House that the HR database is now being developed in three phases and this is scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2015.
Currently, some NTEP graduates are teaching in English, so we can’t assume that Inuit are teaching in Inuktitut.
This is some of the information that we would want to ensure is very clear to us. (interpretation) I hope I answered the question.
Mr. Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the minister for that response; it did answer my question.
Within that same letter that I received as chair of the oversight and government operations and public [accounts] committee, there is a second bullet under that that talks about developing a reporting tool to help assess the currently level of language of instruction implementation.
It talks that that tool will identify what percentage of instruction time is being provided in each of the languages of instruction for each of the grades and the number of staff providing instruction in a bilingual context.
Maybe the minister would be able to update this committee on how that reporting tool development is progressing.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Again I would just like to thank the member for giving us that question.
Right now, by using the human resource database to collect, analyze, and synthesize information on qualifications, grade level, specializations, professional and non-professional educational experience, and retention statistics in order to better understand a variety and possibilities of career paths for Inuktitut teachers, I think the project for this one is on track for completion in early 2015.
Again, the issue on evaluation of language of instruction, implementation from kindergarten to grade 3 for 2014-15, we didn’t quite complete that yet, but it enhances our Student Information System to include information on courses and the percentage of time students are instructed in Inuit languages. The use of this data is to track compliance within our schools and across the territory.
We would review data at system, regional, and school levels.
Certainly, the usage of this data is to target and plan growth where required.
(interpretation) I hope I responded to the question. (interpretation ends) It will also provide training to school-based administrators on how to input and track language of instruction information to ensure data is accurate and reliable across the territory.
We also assist where the Nunavut Teacher Educator Program will be.
Those are the areas, I believe, is what the question is about. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We are at Education.
Branch Summary. Corporate Services. Total Operations.
Good afternoon, (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister. (interpretation) I would like further elaboration on your department’s Inuit Employment Plan, more specifically the need for Inuit teachers.
This issue has been in the forefront for years, yet we can’t seem to solve this challenge.
Perhaps I wasn’t paying attention when you responded to a question earlier that I believe was raised.
Has it become clear what exactly seems to be the barrier keeping us from solving this challenge?
What hurdle is the harbinger of this failure of retaining Inuit teachers?
Perhaps the reason why I ask the question is that we have had the NTEP program for a long time and now available through Arctic College and further, the number of communities where the course is offered has increased with students in their home community taking this program.
Back then, we always stated that in order for students to succeed, more homegrown courses would result in more graduates of the courses, and we held firm to that belief.
I believe it to be truthful; at least I personally place faith in that position.
What is this last hurdle keeping us from reaching our objective?
If my question was comprehensible, that is.
Indeed, firstly let me start with this statement: as the Department of Education, we are continually searching for teachers, obviously recruitment matters.
Additionally, what I can also say at this point in time is that we now have ten communities that are offering the NTEP program with students taking the courses.
Some communities have offered this course for four years with some students on their fourth year while others may be in their second year and others just starting the program. The students aren’t all at the same level.
As well, the NTEP program for the courses specific to this teaching program in Nunavut, as we all know, we now have 108 students enrolled in the (interpretation ends) Bachelor of Education (interpretation) program and as I stated earlier, this is happening in ten communities.
This is something I take pride in. Although the total may seem insignificant, the figure is still 108.
The other factors we need to know about relate to the current situation as we have Inuit teachers already in our system with some on the verge of retirement. That is the situation we face everywhere with workers retiring.
We also have had Inuit teachers who have gone on to other careers as with any other profession.
Our employees have the freedom to move onto other careers, either within the government bureaucracy or elsewhere, and this situation continues to play out as well to date.
With respect to your actual question, I doubt I can describe the hurdles, but what I can tell you is that one of our top priorities is to hire Inuktitut-speaking teachers.
Here I refer to bilingual teachers versed in two languages and if that is our goal, then we need bilingual teachers for that.
I can’t really answer your question, as teachers are also free to move to new careers and we can’t stop them from doing so.
We can’t tell them, “You must remain a teacher.” It is up to each individual.
Again I doubt I have answered your question. My deputy minister here was a past teacher, but she has moved into the administration circles and now works as a deputy minister.
This is just an example of how we lose some Inuit teachers and recruit more.
To date, on a personal level, I am gratified with the numbers we have, as 108 students are a fairly significant number who will be able to speak in Inuktitut. Another matter I can raise here is that sometimes when the students reach the schools, as I mentioned earlier, some of the teachers have to teach their courses in English, although they are Inuit teachers.
These are the issues we face. Nevertheless, we will continue to push to attain that objective within our department.
I am very pleased that we see a lot of Inuit teachers in our schools.
If I’m out of line, please let me know, Mr. Chairman.
A question I asked earlier was: what are your challenges?
You didn’t respond to my question because I’m sure there are a lot of challenges out there, but have you ever thought about our teachers, especially the Inuit teachers, and the lack of support they receive from the education system?
I hear that all over Nunavut.
There seem to be no changes to provide better services or support for Inuit teachers in providing them with the proper resources and tools. We don’t seem to be giving them resources as a government.
I can use an example where our deputy minister used to be a teacher.
I’m sure she knows exactly what it is like as a teacher without the proper support and resources.
Is that one of the challenges that teachers are facing? We give them a lot of work to do, but we don’t give them the support and services.
Have you heard about such comments being made out there?
Hon. Paul Quassa: Qujannamiik, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) With those comments regarding challenges or the lack of support, I don’t know what those challenges are or if they’re receiving the proper support or resources.
We discussed resources in the school system, especially Inuktitut resources.
In the past, some of the challenges included not having an Inuktitut curriculum or necessary resources.
That was a challenge and we are asking for additional funds so that we can provide adequate Inuktitut resources or curriculum. We definitely have to focus on that and we are looking at new monies to acquire Inuktitut resources.
That was one of the challenges we had in the past. They did not have an Inuktitut curriculum or resources to work with.
We should also know that our teachers, whether they are Inuit or others, have the proper support. In English, they are provided professional help.
They are available for our teachers when they ask for that type of assistance. We provide it to our teachers.
Another issue I have been bringing up is literacy, which is new. As I mentioned in the past, we are working on that issue. We are talking about a literacy coach who could help our teachers, so we are focusing on that.
These people are there to provide support and resources to our teachers.
Last year, there was $1.06 million that will be used for three years to produce Inuktitut curriculum.
We are using other resources out there to fund, to provide or to produce what is missing in the school system right now.
We are requesting additional funds to fill in the gaps for Inuktitut curriculum.
I don’t know whether or not I responded to your question.
Yes and no. Ever since Inuktitut teaching started, maybe I was too young at that time, but to date, it has never been properly set up and the resources have never been enough.
It always seems to be on the backburner in your department.
I remember there used to be a divisional board of education in Qikiqtaaluk and other regions. This issue was brought up and they responded that they were producing Inuktitut story books and curriculum.
At that time, we knew that people were really happy.
However, ever since we got our Nunavut, everything stopped. They stopped all these programs because they said it is costing money.
We are saying Inuktitut teaching is very important, but when we got our own government, these programs were delayed in the process.
A lot of times, people don’t believe the government, even though we talk about these things, because it seems whatever the Nunavummiut want are being cut. No wonder we are not being believed in.
My question is, during 1970 or 1980, Inuktitut was one of the priorities on the list. Why is it today, (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister, (interpretation) that over $1 million will be used for literacy?
There have been 25 to 30 years that this Inuktitut curriculum is very important, but nothing seems to be happening today.
Hon. Paul Quassa: Qujannamiik, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) The regulations related to bilingualism are quite clear and they have to use Inuktitut as well as English.
This is laid out clearly in the (interpretation ends) Education Act. It’s very clear.
(interpretation) Further, in the Education Act, the preamble language speaks to the need to have Inuit beliefs, culture, and language as the foundation. It clearly states that the foundation has to include Inuit Qaujimanituqangit and these are the pillars of our current education system.
This will not change.
That is quite clearly stated. Additionally, our goals and objectives are adhered to in our schools.
The Education Act also clearly states that the local district education authorities are the recognized local body to promote Inuit language and culture within their communities.
I can’t speak to what transpired in the past and how it looked operationally, as that is historical. We are looking at the future and trying to move forward.
We work with the DEAs and support them in their work and avail ourselves for any further assistance they may require. Also in the Education Act, the DEAs have responsibilities clearly laid out.