Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, good communication is essential in building an educational system that meets the needs of students. I am pleased to tell this Assembly that I recently heard from student leaders from almost every school board and college campus in the Northwest Territories. These representatives were in Yellowknife to attend a student forum on education in early April.

The forum was an opportunity for the staff of my department to bring the student leaders up to date on recent initiatives in education and to hear their concerns about policies and programs. I attended the forum, along with senior officials from Education, Culture and Employment.

The students discussed issues such as constitutional development; career opportunities; making the transition from school to work; technology; and Education, Culture and Employment's strategic plan to 2010.

I was very impressed by how quickly the student entered into discussions and by the fact that they not only raised issues, they proposed solutions.

The students have presented their recommendations to me, which deal largely with educational standards and how we can make better use of applied technology. I will be replying to these recommendations this month and I will share my response with the Members of this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, the student representatives who attended the forum in Yellowknife may well be tomorrow's territorial leaders. The forum gives the participants an opportunity to consult on issues of importance. I look forward to addressing the issues they have raised as we work together to improve the school system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.