Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the heading of schools, it deals with increases for grade extension. I would like to speak to that very briefly. Mr. Chairman, we are not producing high school graduates, especially in the native population. I do not know why. I do not have the answer. I know though, Mr. Chairman, that we have good staff in the territories. We have very good facilities. I think we have a very good curriculum in our education system. Where is the problem? I do not know.
Part of the problem is that we are not providing choices for our students. I say that because most of the students who get their education at the community level, once they have passed their grade eight or nine, have to leave that community to get full education in the larger centres. I think that is where part of the problem lies. Either they have to go to larger communities for higher education or they go to Yellowknife. My communities are Pelly Bay, Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven. The parents and the students prefer to go to Yellowknife, rather than Cambridge Bay. I am supposed to be representing Cambridge Bay, but I am being honest about it. If there was a high school in one of my communities of Gjoa Haven, Spence Bay and Pelly Bay, I think we would see more successful rates of graduates in all of those communities.
Education is the responsibility of everyone, the parents and the students. Education begins at home. As soon as the child is born, it is up to the mother to educate that baby. I think it is very important that education is brought to the community to the student and not the student to education. There are parents and students who would rather have their higher education in other communities, perhaps Yellowknife, or other respectable locations. A good majority of those students, especially in my riding, would rather have their high school facilities or grade extension right at home. That is just a point, it is not a question. Thank you.