Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have said earlier, we need to remember the purpose of this testing is to provide jurisdictions with an overall indication of how well their curriculum is working. In response to earlier tests, it is important to remember we have made changes to our curriculum. We came up with a numeracy and literacy strategy to strengthen the curriculum in those areas given the results from previous tests. This test may indicate, once we have the specific details, where we need to undertake a similar sort of strategy with science.
The program does not cost the Northwest Territories very much. The federal government, Human Resources Development Canada, pays almost all the cash costs for this program across Canada. Therefore, it is an easy one for us to participate in. It is a very expensive program across Canada. I am satisfied we have other ways of checking how well our students are doing through divisional education councils, divisional education authorities, and through results such as the grade 12 examinations, in which 50 percent of the final mark is based on an Alberta departmental. Also, through the efforts of the ministry to keep track of how our students appear to be doing, I am satisfied that as part of our overall monitoring of how well students do, it is certainly worth while for us to participate in the School Achievement Indicators Program, especially as all costs are borne by the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.