Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'd like to take this opportunity to report on the Nunavut education planning meeting I attended in Rankin Inlet last week.
This was an inaugural meeting, bringing together various partners in education to consider the matter of education in Nunavut and the development of a Nunavut school system. Planning for this important meeting began almost a year ago, largely at the initiative of Mr. Dennis Lyall, chairperson of Kitikmeot Divisional Board of Education. It was last September when I committed to Mr. Lyall that I would attend this formative meeting.
Twenty-four leaders in education attended, representing the three Nunavut divisional boards of education, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the Nunavut Implementation Commission, the Nunavut Implementation Training Committee, Arctic College and my department.
At the opening session, the board chairpersons described their concerns that the Nunavut final agreement said little about the school system, about the children of Nunavut and the fact that the children are the future of Nunavut.
Delegates looked at what is happening in each of the boards today and noted that much progress had been made in the past 25 years. They described their vision of schooling in Nunavut, with first language instruction in Inuktitut from kindergarten to grade 12, with the Inuit culture as the first culture and with Inuit teachers and administrators throughout the system. They also examined some of the challenges to achieving that vision. They talked about increasing community control of education and how to meet the needs of children in schools. They asked themselves what should a school look like to make it an Inuit school.
They also noted that community-based education is having a tremendously positive economic impact -- divisional boards of education are often the single largest employer in communities.
Madam Speaker, the people of Nunavut have a vision for their children and their children's education. The proposed transfer of education is scheduled for 2006, but the consensus was that education should be among the first responsibilities of the new government in 1999. They want to begin planning now, and begin acting together now, so that the design and delivery of the education system is in place as soon as possible to support the development of Nunavut and the preparation of the Inuit to run the new government.
Madam Speaker, the divisional boards of education want to be recognized as playing a leadership role in preparing their constituents for the new opportunities of Nunavut. They wish to work together with the rest of the Nunavut leadership at the meeting and with the Nunavut Caucus of this Assembly to develop plans and steps for implementation starting now.
I applaud their vision and their leadership, and along with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporation and the Nunavut Implementation Committee, representatives present agreed to support a working committee with all key players to continue the planning process. The committee is planning to meet in March.
Madam Speaker, when I receive the minutes from the meeting, I will circulate them to all Members of this House. I then look forward to the coming months and to participation in this absolutely critical matter of moving the development of the people of Nunavut to the forefront for consideration in discussions on division.
At the appropriate time, I will be tabling the agenda of the particular meeting. Thank you, Madam Speaker.