Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me see if this is the way this motion reads. It says, "...Adopt a focus of excellence as a fundamental principle of the educational system, and implement a plan by the 1994-95 school year to monitor the achievement of northern students and to continually strive to help northern students achieve excellence in their studies." Isn't it premature to make that kind of a statement? The level right now is so low that it still targets certain groups to go beyond that level, anyway. Should we actually be making a motion to say that we need to bring up the level so we don't have this double standard? I have already used my own constituency as an example. We have kids going to high school in Fort Simpson, kids going to high school here and kids going to high school in Fort Providence. Why are we sending them to these different places and for what reason? To achieve excellence, or is it done on the basis of merit, or the basis of who you know in the educational system or is it based on favouritism by students and teachers? That doesn't address the issue itself. I like students striving towards excellence, but if it is at the detriment of other students, which I think it suggests here, I can't, in all honesty, support something like this. The way I read it might be interpreted differently by Mr. Ballantyne, but that is the way I am reading it, and I might need some help here from someone. A legal person might be able to explain it a lot better. I am hearing something here and I am getting other messages.
Samuel Gargan on Committee Motion 14-12(5): To Adopt Recommendation 15, Carried
In the Legislative Assembly on February 24th, 1994. See this statement in context.
Committee Motion 14-12(5): To Adopt Recommendation 15, Carried
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 23rd, 1994
Page 357
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
See context to find out what was said next.