Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In my travels in my constituency -- there is need for some new schools. I know there is some initiative by the department to take care of that need. I just wanted to say for the record that in Jean Marie River there are plans for a school there. It is needed. They have an old log school that was built by the people there many years ago. The bottom couple of logs are rotten, and the kids are still using it. They have students from kindergarten to grade nine in a one-room situation. It is very crowded, and I do not think any of the Members here would want to have such a school in their own constituency, but this has been going on for many years. I was told it was supposed to be built this year, but it was bumped back another year. There is money in there for planning it this year. I just wanted to let the Minister know that I am concerned it should have been done sooner.

My other concern is in Trout Lake. There, too, the school is very old. I was there in January and had a meeting with the community, and I was told that they are definitely in need of a better school there because the people of the community made a log school there years ago. I do not know exactly what condition it was in, but they tell me some logs are rotten in there and they have ants crawling out of the logs in the summer. It is not a very good building, so I would just like to put the department on notice that this is what I am going after.

As for Fort Simpson, I know there are a lot of discussions going on with regard to the high school in Yellowknife, and so forth. There is a grade extension to grade 12 being provided, and I certainly hope that it is an advanced level of grade 12. Last year we had up to grade 10 in Simpson, and we had 21 students. This year we extended to grade 11, plus there was a new grade 10 alternative introduced in Simpson, and the figure jumped from 21 students last year to 60. With the grade extension it is going to be even higher. This is a reflection of a new school in Fort Liard, a new school in Nahanni Butte, and a new school being built in Wrigley. I know the students in Wrigley are very excited about a new school coming into Wrigley, and with the new facilities this will increase the student population and, therefore, the concern is that we need better facilities in Fort Simpson.

Fort Simpson is a regional centre for the five communities in the region, and what happens to students from the very small communities is that they make two trips now, as they try to get to grade 12. From Trout Lake they make a trip to Simpson to go to grade 10. If they want to go to grade 12 they have to come here. So they are twice removed from their homes. If it was just one trip to Simpson, that is what we want. I do not know how it is in the other regions of the North, but in the Simpson area, the parents, the teachers, and the people involved in education have been very enthusiastic and very keen on having grade 12 and a good quality of education in our communities, and we have been asking that for so many years. I think we are in a position in Simpson to provide that service now if we had the facilities and the resources. This is what I am asking for right now.

I am told that there is a plan to retrofit the Thomas Simpson School, which is a 32-year-old school. I was told that there was new equipment going into the school, such as computers and so forth, and they could not plug them in because the electrical system is obsolete, so they cannot use some of this equipment to teach the students. What is needed there is more retrofitting and renovation of the existing school in Fort Simpson to take up the type of courses that are required for an advanced level of grade 12.

Another concern is that when you go to high school and you eventually want to go to university, you need to take courses in physics and chemistry, and so forth, and there is noscience lab in the school. There is a need to put in a science lab in that school. Last year, as you recall, when Stephen Kakfwi was Minister of Education, he said there was not going to be grade 11 in Simpson and there was a demonstration in Simpson, I remember, and the students wanted to remain in Simpson. I think it was in the papers. The same attitude still exists in Simpson. They would prefer to stay in Simpson to go to high school and complete their high school in Simpson. These are my concerns and general comments, Mr. Chairman. Mahsi.

Thank you. Are there any further general comments? Mr. Arvaluk.

Yes, Mr. Arvaluk, you can ask a question; and if you want to make some general comments, now is the time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My general comments, as you heard already, I will just mention the overcrowding situation in Coral Harbour. The Minister has been looking into this, and I was informed by his staff that they are looking into this, and they have some information on it now. I have not received any kind of material regarding it. Can the Minister tell me what he has found about the situation in Coral Harbour?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have received some information regarding the Coral Harbour school just today. We are going to have to review the information, and, from the information we have received, we are going to have to put some money into planning for 1993-94. Thank you.

Thank you. General comments. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Any further general comments? Is this committee now ready to go into details? Is it agreed? Member for Kitikmeot.

Kitikmeot Students Should Graduate With Matriculation

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have not said much because I feel, being a product of the residential school system and some of the school systems that I went to, I have a responsibility to speak on behalf of the people who put me here.

In regard to education, I think it is the key that holds the future for our children, particularly in my region, the Kitikmeot. I understand we will be implementing grade 10 in both Coppermine and Cambridge in 1992, but when it comes down to regional high schools, I think it would be only fair to have one high school in our region. We cannot have two because we have Coppermine, Cambridge Bay, Pelly Bay, Spence Bay and Gjoa Haven, and we already send our school children down here for higher education. So I am in favour of grade 10 in Coppermine and Cambridge, but I really do not know if we should have two high schools within the Kitikmeot Region. If we do, I think we will have difficulty filling both high schools. So, to save the government money, I think I would have to make a choice where we want the high school, either in Coppermine or Cambridge Bay or Pelly Bay, Spence Bay or Gjoa Haven.

When the day comes that we will receive a high school, I would like to see our students from the Kitikmeot Region have the same quality of education as what is presently being offered in larger communities such as Inuvik, Fort Smith and Yellowknife. We cannot have a watered-down version of grades 11 and 12. I would like to see our students graduate with matriculation meaning math 10, 20 and 30; English 10,20 and 30; and science 10, 20 and 30. I think from there we could sort of lead the child in what kind of professional field they want to follow, be it a lawyer, doctor or a teacher.

General comments. Does this committee wish to go to details now?

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Schools, Buildings And Works, Headquarters Total Capital

We started on page 18.10. Schools, buildings and works, headquarters total region,$4,834,000. Mr. Minister.

Motion To Delete Addition/Renovation, Sir John Franklin School, Carried

Mr. Chairman, I move that the 1992-93 capital estimates for the Department of Education, under the activity "schools," for the project addition/renovation Sir John Franklin, Yellowknife, in the amount of $3,634,000, be deleted.

Copies of the motion have been circulated. Your motion is in order. To the motion, Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In working with the finance committee we have come up with a plan to put some planning into Yellowknife schools, as well as the extension of grades in certain communities, as I stated in my opening remarks.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to move two other motions which would take care of the school requirements in Yellowknife, as well as the school requirements for additional classrooms in Yellowknife you.

To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Minister.

Motion To Increase 1992-93 Capital Estimates For Education To Add School Planning, Yellowknife

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that the 1992-93 capital estimates for the Department of Education, under the activity of "schools," be increased in the amount of $400,000 to add the project "schools planning, Yellowknife."

The copies have been circulated. Your motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Minister.

Thank you. This $400,000 would allow three boards in Yellowknife to plan for school requirements in Yellowknife for 1992-93.

To the motion. Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake.