Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to providing quality early childhood development programs that will help our children reach their full potential.  We want our youngest citizens to have the best opportunity to become healthy, educated, successful adults who are well prepared to embark on meaningful and rewarding careers.

Mr. Speaker, this is Education Week.  It is a time to focus on how our education system supports our students to gain the knowledge and skills required to live productive lives and to recognize the teachers that help them achieve their personal, academic and career goals.

Good morning.

I am thrilled to be here for Pink Shirt Day, and I would like to thank MLA, Julie Green, Yellowknife Centre and MLA, Kevin OReilly, Frame Lake, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada for organizing today’s event on this important issue.

Bullying is a complex and serious issue that can have devastating effects on our children and youth. Bullying is unacceptable and we are one of the jurisdictions across Canada actively standing up to stop bullying.

YELLOWKNIFE (February 17, 2016) – For the last month, the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG), in partnership with the Government of Nunavut and assisted by the GNWT, has been  carefully packing nearly 8,000 Nunavut artifacts at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC).

The artifacts will travel to the Winnipeg Art Gallery under a loan agreement with the Government of Nunavut. These art pieces are the first significant group of Nunavut objects to be removed from the PWNHC to be transferred to the Government of Nunavut’s (GN) care.

YELLOWKNIFE (January 28, 2016) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Alfred Moses today publicly released the results of an independent review of the Junior Kindergarten program following discussions with Members of the Legislative Assembly and Cabinet.

YELLOWKNIFE (October 8, 2015) – 65 teachers from across the Northwest Territories have returned to their communities with new skills and techniques for creating positive learning environments and helping students manage their own energy, emotions, behaviours and attention through self-regulation. The teachers took part in week-long training sessions hosted by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment last month.

YELLOWKNIFE (October 8, 2015) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty tabled the Skills 4 Success (S4S) 10-Year Strategic Framework yesterday, a strategy that focuses on improving employment success for Northwest Territories (NWT) residents by closing skill gaps for in-demand jobs and more effectively responding to community, employer and industry needs.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling the Skills 4 Success 10-Year Strategic Framework. This Framework capitalizes on the skills, knowledge and talents of the people of the Northwest Territories, the number one resource behind our economy and sustainable communities.

YELLOWKNIFE (October 6, 2015) - Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Jackson Lafferty released Strong Cultures, Strong Territory: The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Culture and Heritage Strategic Framework. The Framework will align the existing culture and heritage activities of all GNWT departments around shared goals and priorities. It will also serve as a cultural lens for future GNWT initiatives until 2025.

Mr. Speaker, the North has a long history and a rich heritage with numerous languages and cultures. Our people work to preserve, revitalize and celebrate all aspects of their cultures and languages, which continually grow and evolve.   

In 2014, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment began work on a government-wide 10-year Culture and Heritage Strategic Framework. This Framework aligns the existing culture and heritage work of the government around a shared vision, goals and priorities. It is a cultural lens and guide for government initiatives until 2025.