If I might say one thing, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the honourable Member for the constructive comments. I also want to say despite the fact that we may have some differences sometimes even with the Standing Committee on Finance in terms of the approach, I want to say to the Standing Committee on Finance over the past several years how much we've appreciated some of the advice that has been given. We may not always agree, but the fact is that the general direction we want to take is generally the same. We all believe that the basis for where we go and the success of our system will prove in the result of those students who graduate in the end are as successful, as the honourable Member has mentioned, in participating in a productive job or a productive part of the community.
I also want to say to the honourable Member, I think he pointed out a couple of very important things. We have been successful. That fact is that we've turned some of the systems in the north, even in the last government, around to a point now where people can be more positive about the potential of our young people. You go from 79 per cent in 1981 to over 85 per cent of students who are now attending school more regularly. Even in that small percentage, it means large numbers. You have situations where students are staying in school longer, the participation of students in high school has increased from about 40 per cent to 75 per cent. That's a pretty significant number and it's all because of the support that has been given over the past several years by this Assembly and by previous assemblies. So you're starting to see results of the priority that has been given to education.
I also want to say that the college enrolments in our adult student population have increased to over 1,500 full-time students and over 8,000 part-time students. If you look at those numbers, you start to see some of the successes that are resulting from the support that has been given by this Assembly.
The other point is that there are more aboriginal teachers now than there have ever been. The strategy of reaching 50 per cent, I believe, has been reached. I want to say to the Members, for instance in the case of Yellowknife, the Members of the Assembly for Yellowknife who were supportive of the teacher education program here in Yellowknife...We would not have been successful in terms of getting that around and turning the views of the city around without the support of Members of this Assembly. And we see the success of it, those students are staying in the program. I think that's the same situation in the Baffin, the Keewatin, the North Slave, the Kitikmeot and the Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort area. So you're starting to see situations where you're seeing very positive results.
I just want to say that the points that the honourable Member has raised, the numbers are starting to show that these turn-arounds are starting to happen and they're positive. The honourable Member also mentioned that not all these changes are immediate, but I think the more we maintain the positive of ensuring that our system provides for excellence for our students; in other words, quality of program, quality of service, I think that will result in more and more graduates and more successful students. So I just wanted to say thank you to the honourable Member for his comments.