Mr. Chairman, I would also like to ask about the funding for forced growth. Our region has a very high rate of natural population growth. I would like to ask whether there has been an allowance built into the board funding formulas for forced growth if there's no allowance for forced growth in regions like the Baffin where the student population is growing fast. I am concerned that the board may be faced with no other alternative but to reallocate funding to teaching positions which would otherwise be used for programs and materials development. It would be very unfortunate if the implementation of important projects like the lnuuqatigiit culture curriculum was to be put on hold because we are short of teaching positions in the Baffin due to forced growth. Is there provision for forced growth in this budget? If not, will the Minister have access to supplementary funding from the Financial Management Board to deal with forced growth in the regions where student populations are growing, such as the Baffin?
I would also like to ask about funding for community-based teacher education programs. We have made good progress in recent years. The goal in the Baffin is to have 85 per cent Inuit teachers and principals. In my opinion, this is the key to offering quality instruction in Inuktitut.
I would also like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, will they be able to continue to fund these important community-based programs in the coming school year at the same levels as before.