Thank you, mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today is on the value of education. Mr.
Speaker, there is a strong relationship between education and income and employment levels. Fourteen percent of Canadians 15 and over, have less than a grade nine education. At the same time in the NWT, 27 percent of our residents, 15 and over, have less than a grade nine education. That is two times higher than the Canadian average. Mr. Speaker, dropping out involves high costs to government. Canadian society loses billions of dollars over the lifetime of dropouts. For example, Canada will lose $4 billion over the working lifetime of the nearly 140,000 youths who dropped out instead of graduating in the class of 1989. Costs include less earning before spending and lost tax revenue. Costs also include the personal cost to the dropouts. Studies have shown that dropouts experience more social problems. These social problems include poor personal health, lower social status, higher unemployment, dependents of social security payments and their children as well are less likely to stay in school. It is a never ending cycle.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT spends proportionately less on education than the Yukon and the provinces. It is no wonder that we have the lowest education rate in Canada, if we spend the least amount on education per capita. Mr. Speaker, this cannot be allowed to continue. We need to put more money into adult education. We cannot leave our education levels at a rate where people with grade nine or less are two times higher than the Canadian average. Thank you. Mahsi.