Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, five years ago, we had a terrible graduation rate in the Northwest Territories. It was absolutely embarrassing. We tried the residential school solution in terms of bringing students into larger communities for high school and found it to be a dismal failure. It is early in the process of providing grade extensions to the communities to point to conclusive and resounding success, but I can tell you that the participation rate in high school has gone from about 40 per cent in 1991-92 to over 85 per cent this year. That, alone, indicates a significant promise in getting students to graduate. We have, in the last five years, doubled the numbers of aboriginal students who have graduated in the Northwest Territories. I am not as proud of that because the number is still dismally low, but it does represent a start. I would submit that the start has happened at the same time as the policy of extending grades to smaller communities was put in place.

The Member may also be interested to know that we have demonstrated that it is more cost-effective to extend grades in communities than it is to move students around. It actually costs this government less money to provide the education in their home community than it does to move students around. I would say that, given the lack of success we have had with a residential system in the past, we need to take some time to see whether or not this change in policy has some long-term benefits and effects.

The early indications were very positive, so I think we must continue down the road that we have started and give it a chance. Much in education will change as technology changes, as we become more users of distance technology and we can provide improved education to all communities in the Northwest Territories, including the smallest of communities.

So it looks like we are on the right track. We need to spend the time and the effort to follow through with the process that has been undertaken. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.