February 14, 2012 - Mr. Speaker, recently MLA Blake and I visited Fairbanks, Alaska, to learn about the Alaska Native Language Program. The trip had both an education and a language focus and I think we can learn a lot from their retention and revitalization strategies, and language acquisition and teaching methods. I believe these significantly complement our approaches in the Northwest Territories.

February 9, 2012 - Mr. Speaker, this government promotes the importance of trained and certified skilled journeypersons.  We encourage our youth to consider skilled trades as a great career choice, and we celebrate the success of our apprentices and journeypersons. 

February 8, 2012 - Mr. Speaker, now, more than ever, Northerners are realizing the importance of literacy. January 27 was family literacy day.  Celebrating Family Literacy Day helps recognize the important role that families play in literacy development.

The Northwest Territories has vast economic potential, and Northerners want to be able to access the jobs being created. We know that to take advantage of the opportunities we must have a skilled, educated and literate workforce.

YELLOWKNIFE (February 6, 2012) – The Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, has declared February 6^th to 10^th, 2012 as Apprenticeship Week in the Northwest Territories.

YELLOWKNIFE (January 26, 2012) – Learning in everyday life is this year’s theme for Family Literacy Day on Friday, January 27^th.  Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, encourages families in the Northwest Territories to take time to remember that literacy includes much more than just reading and writing.

YELLOWKNIFE (January 23, 2012) – The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) reopened its doors to the public on Saturday. A chimney fire damaged a small area inside the building on Boxing Day.

YELLOWKNIFE (January 6, 2012) – The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) reopened the NWT Archives yesterday after a chimney fire damaged a small area inside the building on Boxing Day.

December 14, 2011 - Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment supports community-based teacher education programming, which provides increased access to students across the Northwest Territories. Graduates of these programs will increase the number of Aboriginal educators in our school system.

December 12, 2011 - Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Student Financial Assistance program last underwent a substantial redesign in the fall of 2000.  Since then, it has periodically been reviewed internally, resulting in increases to some benefits, such as tuition and book allowances, repayable loan monthly limits and the lifetime loan limit.

December 9, 2011 - Mr. Speaker, towards the end of the 16^th Assembly, I tabled the Aboriginal Student Achievement Education Plan. It was developed after broad consultation, and aims to eliminate the education gap between Aboriginal and other students.  I am pleased to say that Aboriginal and education leaders endorsed the plan by signing the Education Partnership Declaration.