EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The committee anticipates inviting the minister to appear before the standing committee at a later date to address issues and suggestions for improving Bill 21.
As the Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Education, I have moved the motion before the House today in order that there can be sufficient time for Bill 21 to receive the scrutiny that it deserves.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I will conclude my comments and ask my colleagues to support the motion. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Alagalak. (interpretation ends) To the motion. (interpretation) Question has been called.
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit West, that Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 3, be read for the first time.
Speaker: For the record, Mr. Minister, could you please clarify the bill number as in our records, it appears to be Bill 28. Can you confirm that, Mr. Minister?
Bill 28 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 3 – First Reading
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk: Yes, Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 3.
The motion is carried and Bill 28 has had its first reading.
Bills 23, 24, and 25 with Mr. Evyagotailak in the Chair. Before we proceed, we will take a 20-minute break.
>>House recessed at 15:30 and Committee resumed at 16:01
Mr. Kattuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We wish to continue with Bill 23 and commence with the review of the Main Estimates for the Department of Education.
Are we in agreement we deal with the Main Estimates for the Department of Education?
Bill 23 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Education
I would like to ask Minister Picco of the Department of Education to make his opening remarks.
I would like to begin by thanking the committee and I am very pleased to be able to discuss the 2008-09 Main Estimates for the Department of Education.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education continues to work towards a fundamental shift in the delivery of educational programs and services to meet the needs and goals of Pinasuaqtavut.
This shift includes all aspects of our broad mandate – K-12, adult learning, income support, early childhood education, trades training and career development.
Before I begin with the initiatives planned for the upcoming year, Mr. Chairman, I’d like to highlight some of our recent accomplishments in the department:
The department has increased the Senior Citizens Supplementary Benefit from $135 per month to $175 per month.
Nunavut seniors will see the increase reflected on their February cheques from the Government of Canada, and most of our seniors now are receiving those today.
The first Masters of Education program to be offered in Nunavut is experiencing tremendous success.
The 25 participants from across Nunavut are focusing on developing their educational leadership.
The program is being delivered in Nunavut as part of the department’s Inuit Employment Plan.
A team of 16 students and apprentices from across Nunavut travelled to Saskatoon to compete in the Canadian Skills Competition.
The partnership between Education and Skills Canada Nunavut continues to grow and last year’s team was the largest that we’ve had from Nunavut so far. Students and apprentices came from across Nunavut.
We won three silver medals in two contest areas – Post-Secondary Hairdressing as well as TV & Video Production.
The department continues the task of incorporating Inuit culture and language into our school programs. We are also moving aggressively to integrate Inuktitut into many areas of our classrooms, which include new work in language arts and math.
In support of this, the department helped to establish the Community Language Committees to help with the selection of appropriate Language of Instruction models across the territory.
Bill 21, Nunavut’s Education Act, was recently introduced in the Legislative Assembly.
The department worked with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to co-chair a steering committee to work towards a unified vision. This landmark legislation signals a revitalization of our education system.
It creates a framework for education based on teamwork with schools, parents, DEAs, communities, and the principles of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or IQ, incorporated in the Act.
This new Education Act, Mr. Chairman, will provide more for our territory’s students with the promise of $14 million to reinvigorate education in Nunavut.
In order to put our plans into action, we have put forward a budget of $197 million for our 2008-09 fiscal year.
This is an increase of $8.3 million over last year’s budget.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin to highlight some of our initiatives for the committee:
In cooperation with the Nunavut Arctic College, the Department of Education is preparing for the expansion and the renewal of our Teacher Education Program (NTEP).
NTEP will receive an additional $2,130,000 to expand the program in additional communities, establish an aboriginal language and cultural certificate program and an improved foundation year.
The number of apprentices in our territory continues to rise; we’ve seen an increase of almost 40 percent in registered apprentices across Nunavut in the last two years. Our department is expanding the pre-trades and multiple-trade options at the high school level.
We’re also continuing to work with the Nunavut Arctic College on the trades school in Rankin Inlet. This year, we will provide $17.1 million to Nunavut Arctic College for base funding. These funds will help to provide valuable learning opportunities for students and will assist in creating a smoother transition from K-12 to post-secondary education.
The addition of over $1 million to the college’s budget will help establish the trades school, with construction scheduled to begin this summer.
The social assistance budget will see an increase of $3,440,000.
This additional funding will help keep up with the demand as the department continues to experience an increase in caseloads.
This year, Mr. Chairman, there is an increase of $1.1 million to support the delivery of K-12 education across Nunavut.
This support reflects the NTA union’s mandatory increase to the educator’s compensation and benefits package.
The Department of Education continues to work with the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth in the development of the Piqqusilirivvik Inuit Cultural School. We have transferred $200,000 to the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth to assist in that process.
These funds provide support for the Project Coordinator position and related costs. Management of the cultural school program now rests with CLEY.
Another successful initiative is the Nunavut Community Schools Inventory System, or NCSIS. It’s an online employment and training system that uses essential skills to match employers and potential employees in Nunavut.
The system gathers detailed information about the skills needed for available jobs and compares that to skills held by Nunavummiut.
It is fully operational in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English and French.
This exciting program, Mr. Chairman, recently received the 2007 Silver Award for Innovative Management of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.
Mr. Chairman, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, the Kitikmeot Economic Development Commission, Newmont Hope Bay Ltd., Nunavut Arctic College, and the Department of Education have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding agreement to develop cooperative ventures in education, labour force research, and training associated with mine-related opportunities.
The MOU will also cover projects such as the development of career orientation programs, projects such as transition to work programs, certification and registry requirements for the purpose of developing a seamless approach to services from kindergarten to grade 12 and then onto adult training.
Mr. Chairman, as you know, we are continuing with Heavy Equipment Operator courses; both under the Building Essential Skills program of the LMDA, or the Labour Market Development Agreement, as well as through funding from our Income Support Program to our clients.
There have been, Mr. Chairman, over 130 Nunavut graduates of the program so far and another 36 seats have been secured for our students through the end of March 2008.
The demand of this course is growing faster than the number of seats we can provide and the department is exploring how to expand this program.
As well, Mr. Chairman, in response to the Auditor General’s Report, the department has made changes to the FANS program. We will continue the work we started last year and provide quality as well as accountability framework for this critical program for Nunavut students.
The Department of Education looks forward to continuing our challenging and rewarding work in the months ahead.
This is an exciting and innovative time for education in Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, I am eager to work with the committee and my colleagues to build capacity, enhance education and expand lifelong learning opportunities throughout Nunavut.
With that, Mr. Chairman, are my opening comments on the 2008-09 Main Estimates for the Department of Education.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister of Education.
Does the Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Education have any opening comments?
As the Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Education, I am pleased to make some opening remarks as we begin deliberations on the budget of the Department of Education.
The Department of Education’s proposed 2008-09 operations and maintenance budget is just over $197 million, which is an increase of approximately $8 million from the 2007-08 O&M budget.
The committee has noted that this increase is largely due to adjustments in compensation and benefit levels as a result of the NTA Collective Agreement as well as specific investments in higher education such as teacher education, other Nunavut Arctic College programs and basic adult education programs such as literacy.
Members are concerned, however, that budget estimates for one of the department’s biggest programs, Income Support, may not be realistic, given the steadily rising demand for benefits provided under this program.
As you will recall, in May of 2007, this House approved a supplementary appropriation of almost $3.5 million for additional resources for the Income Support Program.
The committee would appreciate hearing from the minister what measures have been put in place to ensure that the proposed budget for 2008-09 will not be exceeded.
The standing committee recognizes that the department continues to develop a made-in-Nunavut school curriculum with a view to incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Members look forward to reviewing those IQ-based modules which will become compulsory graduating requirements for Nunavut students.
Members support the establishment of criteria and standards for assessing students across Nunavut but are of the view that such assessments must be applied consistently across Nunavut and the results made known to parents and communities.
The educational achievements of Nunavut’s students are important to the future of our territory.
The committee supports the department’s initiatives to increase the number of high school graduates such as the Multiple Options Strategy and the Young Parents Stay Learning program. The expansion of the Multiple Options Strategy to more communities will promote skill development, as well as encourage students to stay in school by offering an alternative to purely academic subjects.
However, the department must ensure that adequate resources are available for these programs to succeed.
The role of District Education Authorities within our education system has been an ongoing issue of concern.
Local involvement of parents and elected representatives is seen as critical to Nunavut’s education system. The standing committee notes that the department has increased the number of accounting staff to provide support to DEAs.
DEA funding allocations are based on enrolment data and members anticipate that DEA budgets will be adjusted closer to the beginning of the new academic year.
Over the past two years, DEAs have also been involved in determining each community’s Language of Instruction model.
Members have requested and look forward to receiving a final update on which communities will be adopting which model in the near future.
Mr. Chairman, the basic success of the K-12 school system has a direct impact on other programs offered by this department.
Basic skill levels associated with a High School Graduation Diploma are necessary to enter into many trades training and apprenticeship programs as well as to enter professional careers that are in such great demand in Nunavut.
In order to become teachers, nurses, doctors, accountants, or engineers, to give a few examples, Nunavummiut will first need a high school level education. The standing committee will be closely monitoring the department’s progress in promoting the teaching profession in Nunavut by training and qualifying more Inuit teachers, especially for teaching at the higher grade levels.
Once again, the standing committee encourages the minister to continue working with his colleagues to provide additional financial support for students in degree-granting programs such as the Nunavut Teacher Education Program and the Nunavut Nursing Program.
The committee has noted that the department has made a number of changes and improvements to the delivery of the Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students program.
Members will be closely monitoring the ongoing operation of this program.
Members look forward to the opening of the Nunavut Trades School in Rankin Inlet and the delivery of trades programming in Iqaluit and Cambridge Bay.
In the meantime, however, training for jobs in the mining sector is urgently needed if Nunavummiut are to take advantage of the opportunities which are now becoming available.
The standing committee appreciates the minister’s efforts to bring forward plans to deliver relevant training in communities such as Pond Inlet. The committee would appreciate regular and detailed updates on all mining training initiatives currently underway such as those discussed with Baffinland, Newmont and the regional Inuit organizations.
Members would appreciate an update on how the minister will be working with his colleague in the Department of Economic Development and Transportation which is proposing a Nunavut Mine Training Fund in its 2008-09 budget.
The committee has requested an update on the department’s progress in providing trades training as a component of the Nunavut Housing Trust Delivery Strategy.
Members look forward to receiving this information.
Mr. Chairman, as I have already mentioned, the heavy cost and reliance on our Income Support system are of great concern to committee members. Members have made a number of recommendations in past years that the department conduct a complete review of the social assistance regulations to ensure that the true needs of Nunavummiut are being met while taking into account the unique circumstances of northern living.
Members note that the minister’s counterpart in the NWT recently undertook a comprehensive review of income security in that territory and has implemented a number of significant changes as a result.
The committee is of the view that current trends in our Income Support Program will soon be a serious threat to the sustainability of the program.
Members recommend that the minister work with his colleagues to review the many aspects affecting the reliance on income support benefits in Nunavut society.
Individual members may also have questions and comments as we proceed. (interpretation) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Before members pose questions, I would like to ask the minister if he has witnesses he would like to bring to the table.
Chairman: Does this committee agree to bring the witnesses in?  Some Members: Agreed.
Sergeant-at-Arms, could you please escort the witnesses.
(interpretation) Thank you, Sergeant-at-Arms. (interpretation ends) Minister Picco, for the record, please introduce your staff.
I am very pleased to have with me today in the committee, on my immediate right, Comptroller for the Headquarters and Field Operations for the Department of Education, Ms. Susan Nichols, and on my immediate left, a person who needs no introduction to the committee, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Education, Ms. Kathy Okpik.
Chairman: Ms. Nichols and Ms. Okpik, welcome, and again, minister, welcome.
Before my time starts rolling, how long can I have my opening comment?
Chairman: Mr. Curley, I had mentioned already that every member has ten minutes.
I appreciate your granting us and reminding us.
I appreciate the minister for being very passionate with his work and I certainly hope. I also welcome you and your staff.
I think Inuit in Nunavut communities are also very passionate about their role in education.
I remember when I was a kid, it didn’t take that long, I believe, to get the message across that eventually, you’re going to have to learn. We didn’t know what education was or what it stands for, but what we did understand was what we were to acquire, that was to enable and be able to speak the non-Inuktitut prominent language which was English, and that message was hit home by my parents, particularly by my father.
So I did take that message seriously and started reading any piece of information; there were no books or anything. Imagine.
So when Nunavummiut speak about wanting more control; I believe they are serious about wanting control and I believe they want the minister to transfer the authority that he has, which he indicated in his statement about the proposed Education Act, Bill 21.
I think the minister shares his values and desires of Nunavut communities that they want more local control, which means that the minister must respect that; he must specifically and clearly devolve authorities and powers to the education authority.
The minister should not be put up with regional boards.
His view is that regional boards are not the answer; he should not be hung up on that. He should be open to ideas of how devolving more authority to communities and district education could work.
I believe he can propose ten options on that, not the one that he has on Bill 21.
Mr. Chairman, having said that, I want to read, I believe he had seen the report tabled by my colleague, the Saqqiqput document from NTI.
I just want to reference some of them.
The first paragraph on the issue of education states, “After control of education was transferred from the federal to the territorial government in the 1970s, the territorial government, in line with the trend in Aboriginal education in every part of Canada, began to shift to greater local control in 1983.”
I believe it was then, at that time, the real significant shift from headquarters authority to local and regional control, they actually did it through the Education Act.
However, this minister, Mr. Chairman, is taking all that power back to headquarters.
I want to read some further comments just for the record.
That particular paragraph on page 5 and 6 of the report, actually 28 in the NTI document, it says here, “While abolishing boards…” which the minister appears to take great credit for, “… may make administrative and economic sense to a bureaucrat, the boards represented a political point of view that was independent of government, and they could have been relied on to be advocates for parental and community concerns about education.”
I think there are also some questions that are really quite revealing. One of the headers in that article states, “Why Governments Should Not Run Education.”
“While locally elected boards are recognized as essential to preserve language and culture, there are specific reasons why the control of education should not be exercised by government.” I believe the minister will have no problem whatsoever with that one when he’s devolving the authority to local DEAs, so I’ll look forward to asking him some questions on that.
Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to read some comments that NTI presented here. I will read again from why the bureaucracy may not be always the right choices of advice when it’s heavily centralized, “Bureaucracies are inherently antidemocratic. Bureaucrats derive their power from their position in the structure, not from their relations with the people they are supposed to serve.
The people are not masters of the bureaucracy, but its clients.” I believe the minister shares that view and I look forward to hearing from him on that.
I’m reading, continuing on page 29 of the report, “In Nunavut the education system has failed. Tweaking the system will not correct it. As one Aboriginal academic, in talking about Aboriginal education in general said, ‘The greatest challenge is to be radical.’
The bureaucracy may be appropriate for maintaining a system that is generally working to the satisfaction of the public, but the concentration of power in the hands of a few senior managers, the self-interest of the bureaucrat, and the secrecy in which they make their decisions, all make government ineffective as an agent of radical change, which Nunavut needs.”
So, Mr. Chairman, I think we have a long way to go and I believe if the minister is going to be affective in carrying out the enforcement of his proposed Bill 21, he’s going to have to convince a whole lot of us that centralizing authority is not going to make it happen.
I want to conclude by reading the relevant information to how the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement has had some impact on this according to NTI. “Fourteen years after the NLCA was signed and eight years after the formation of Nunavut, the education system has hardly evolved from that which the GNWT built.
It could be argued that it has regressed, in that the GN abolished the mechanisms set up by the GNWT to bring in local control of schools.
Currently, 75 per cent of teachers are non-Inuit. Perhaps more significant, the key senior and middle management in the Department of Education, who have the power to bring about change, as Figure 891 illustrates, is overwhelmingly non-Inuit.”
So I’m convinced and I share that view that in order to devolve that, you’re going to need the help of the local people.
Having the centralized system as you have it now is not serving Nunavummiut and I believe the minister has to explain to the public as soon as possible why he wants to centralize the control of education, which no one supports in Nunavut.
I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Curley’s comments.
I don’t have any general comments but I would like to ask some questions with respect to the opening remarks, if you will allow me, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): I apologize, Mr. Barnabas.
For your information, we’re on general comments. (interpretation ends) Go ahead, Mr. Barnabas.
I have a question on page 4 of his opening comments. (interpretation ends) Okay, I’ll wait. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman: General comments. (interpretation) Sorry, Mr. Barnabas. (interpretation ends) Mr. Kattuk to general comments.
I’ll just make a comment.
The minister is quite aware about the frequent closures we’ve had in the school in Sanikiluaq due to the foul odour in the school when it was supposed to be open.
I don’t know exactly what the problem is to date, but there have been frequent closures in our school, and I haven’t heard recently.
It’s an area of concern in our community and the people who are trying to figure out the problem are taking a very long time. And I’m glad I haven’t heard if it’s closed again.
The school is full to capacity and even some of the students are being taught in the hallway because of lack of classrooms. The Home Economics classroom is just way too small for the size of the school population.
The school was built in 1984, which makes the school over 20 years old, so it needs to be replaced today.
I heard in the Budget Address that the Sanikiluaq school will be considered and the people of Sanikiluaq would be very pleased if the school would be expanded this fall.
We haven’t heard any update in the House, even though I have asked questions on numerous occasions.