Thank you, Madam Speaker. During the cold snap in January, there were school closures all over the southern Northwest Territories. Some had to do with busses not running and some were just out of concern for the well-being of the children. Madam Speaker, Fort Providence was no exception to this. The school was officially closed for three days. My problem with this, Madam Speaker, is after the three continuous days off were given to the kids, it was decided that the closure could not continue indefinitely, especially since it appeared the cold weather had no intention of leaving any time soon.

What they did in Fort Providence was make an announcement that the school would be open for business for any student whose parents felt they should attend. Attendance was not compulsory. It was the parents' choice if their child should attend.

My problem with this arrangement is that it penalizes those students whose parents do not have a vehicle to get them to school. I, personally, would not have wanted my children to walk to school on some of those days in question.

Madam Speaker, I believe I am under the mistaken impression that we are supposed to have compulsory education in the Northwest Territories. All students under 16 are required to attend school when it is open. Where do we draw the line, Madam Speaker, between children's safety and the requirements that students attend a certain amount of school each year?

In the Northwest Territories, we are occasionally get these extreme cold spells. Perhaps we should look at the school closures while they are happening and add those days to the end of the year. Madam Speaker, the guidelines in the Education Act are perhaps too stringent in what they allow the school boards and the principals to do. This is an area that I encourage all local education authorities, divisional boards and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to develop a set of guidelines covering school closures. We need some concrete plans, not the wishy-washy solution recently implemented in Fort Providence. Thank you.

---Applause