Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Literacy Action Day is designed to raise awareness of literacy issues and encourage ongoing support for literacy efforts.
Literacy is an important long-term development issue that affects each and every one of us. It is a sad fact that more than one-third of our adults have a grade 9 education or less. That figure nearly doubles to 60 percent when our focus is narrowed to aboriginal adults. Although more and more young people are finishing high school, the NWT's completion rate remains far lower than that of the rest of Canada. When we look at these numbers, it is no surprise that adult literacy programs are full to bursting, mostly with young adults who have come to realize literacy skills are necessary for holding a decent job. Yet, the funding for these programs has consistently been cut by both the territorial and federal governments for each of the last three years. Between 70 and 80 percent of adult education students are enroled in programs without base funding, which means they are in tentative year-to-year projects. As the workforce grows and demands for literacy increase, we must be able to meet that demand quickly and effectively. Adult education programs have to receive solid base funding so students can depend on them being there from year to year. It is an investment in all our futures. People with literary skills can get and hold jobs. This gives them a sense of self-reliance and cuts our social program needs. This is a win-win situation for all northerners and we need to do all we can to ensure its viability and survival. On Literacy Action Day, it is a good time to take stock of what we as a government are doing to promote literacy and continue to come up with ways to improve our services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause