YELLOWKNIFE (March 31, 2015) – The Government of the Northwest Territories invites parents or primary caregivers of babies born between April 2014 and April 2015 to apply to participate in the testing phase of the iPad Mini for New Parents project being launched by Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) today.

BANFF, AB (March 27, 2015) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty hosted sessions on new and innovative approaches to education in the North at the 5th International Summit on the Teaching Professions (ISTP) in Banff, Alberta on March 29-30, 2015.

On March 28th, Minister Lafferty took part in discussions surrounding the critical changes that we must make to ensure that education is relevant and equitable for Aboriginal students.

YELLOWKNIFE (March 24, 2015) – Premier Bob McLeod announced today that Mr. David Stewart has been named as Associate Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) effective May 11, 2015 and will assume the position of Deputy Minister of ECE on August 1, 2015. Mr. Stewart will be taking over from current Associate Deputy Minister Dana Heide and current Deputy Minister Gabriela Eggenhofer, who are both retiring in coming months.

YELLOWKNIFE (March 16, 2015) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty has announced funding for three NWT schools to both pilot and enhance existing youth resiliency programming.

Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River and K’álemì Dene School in Ndilo were awarded $50,000 each to enhance their existing resiliency programs. Helen Kalvak Elihakvik school in Ulukhaktok was awarded $50,000 to pilot a new resiliency program for their students.

YELLOWKNIFE (March 13, 2015) – More than 160 delegates attended the first Skills 4 Success Symposium, held on March 10-12, 2015, to discuss how skills and postsecondary education strategies can better align with NWT labour market needs and demands.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment provides a better quality of life for some of the most vulnerable residents of the Northwest Territories through its Income Security Program. I’d like to speak today about a significant improvement that is being made to the Income Assistance Program, as well as two very important initiatives that are underway.

Mr. Speaker, it makes me very proud to share an important milestone with this Legislative Assembly. At the Truth and Reconciliation Commission event in Inuvik in 2011, I committed our government to educating students and teachers in the Northwest Territories about the history and legacy of the residential schools.

Mr. Speaker, Aboriginal Languages Month is an opportune time to reflect on past successes and the work that lies ahead in continuing to promote, revitalize and preserve our nine official Aboriginal languages. We are all burdened by the truth that some of our Aboriginal languages are struggling, not because we are not doing enough to support them, but because the challenges they face are complex.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has approved five traditional Aboriginal names for the Mackenzie River under the NWT Geographical and Community Names Policy.

As the Department responsible for community and geographical names in the Northwest Territories, we place a special emphasis on traditional Aboriginal geographical names as they are important to the culture, history, and languages of the people of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I have often talked about the Education Renewal Initiative in this House and have updated Members a number of times as to its progress.  In our discussions last year, Members said that unless children actually go to school it does not matter what programs and supports are provided. Members encouraged us to create a school attendance advertising campaign, and, Mr. Speaker, we have acted upon that advice.