Mr. Speaker, when our connections to our languages and cultures are strong, our people are strong. Languages and culture play a crucial role in people’s daily lives, as tools for communication, education, social integration and development. Language, cultural history and traditions shape us as people.

 I will begin by announcing that upon recommendation of the official language boards, February has been declared the new Indigenous Languages Month in the Northwest Territories.

The Honourable Caroline Cochrane, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), met with territorial education leaders on January 9, 2019 to continue discussion on improving the education system. Leaders from all regions of the Northwest Territories gathered to review progress to date and plan for future work.

The results from a geotechnical study contracted by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) on the École J.H. Sissons School site have been received. The study concluded that the original site, where the school currently stands, is the most viable and stable location for both current and future use. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), Caroline Cochrane, has accepted this recommendation. Both the recommendation and the decision have been conveyed to the board.

YELLOWKNIFE (November 14, 2018) – Minister of Education Culture and Employment Caroline Cochrane will hold a public meeting in Yellowknife to discuss the Government of the Northwest Territories response to the Aurora College Foundational Review. The meetings will give Yellowknife residents an opportunity to hear about next steps in the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Caroline Cochrane, is pleased to announce the names of five recipients inducted into the 2018 Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle on October 29, 2018.

Recipients are recognized and respected in their communities for leadership, participation and significant contributions to the arts, culture and heritage. By category, the recipients for the 2018 Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle are:

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Mr. Speaker, our cultures and languages are the foundation of our work in Education, Culture and Employment. When our languages and cultures are strong, our people are strong, and our work is much more successful. I am pleased to report that we are seeing progress in our efforts to retain, preserve, and promote Northwest Territories languages and cultures.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Caroline Cochrane, today released the Government’s Response to the Aurora College Foundational Review Report (“Review Report”), announcing the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university to better meet the needs of residents of the Northwest Territories. 

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has accepted the overarching recommendation to transform the College into a polytechnic university.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will table the Government Response to the Findings and Recommendations of the Aurora College Foundational Review marking the end of a year-long review process.

This Review has provided an opportunity to step back and evaluate where we are today and where we need to be in the future. Postsecondary education is essential to the growth and prosperity of our territory, and Aurora College continues to play a critical role in providing residents with options for obtaining that education in the NWT.

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Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with our mandate commitment to implement the Education Renewal and Innovation Framework and Action Plan. I am pleased to report that the education system is improving to meet the needs of the students, educators and families of the Northwest Territories. We are at the mid-point of our 10-year strategy, and we are seeing numerous successes and further opportunities for action.