Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Minister is correct when he says there are theme units and the materials available. I believe, and I stand to be corrected, the last time I checked which was about two weeks ago, 90 percent of that material was from K to six. Indeed, the letter and the teachers who had responded were grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, in the upper grade levels, especially grades 7, 8, and 9 which the teacher had been referring to.

When you talk about providing materials, giving a theme unit, and then providing materials, the materials that are program specific or theme specific may not match the scope or the breadth or where the teacher, in this particular instance, wants to take the theme. For example, we talk about family as a theme unit that is taught at the school level. Sometimes I think it is strange to expect a teacher to go out and find a theme and cut things out of an encyclopedia or out of any magazine and bring it forward. I am wondering, has the department looked at the seven, eight and nine grade level where there is a lack of materials that have been brought forward by teachers in the profession by the divisional board of education, the education council, and even the NWTTA? I think that is a concern.

It is one of the shortfalls we have in the system itself although we do have TLC, the learning centres that are trying to produce books and so on, most of that is at that lower level, and it is not at the seven, eight and nine level. A lot of the material that has been developed, like anything else, has been through trial and error. Some has worked well and some has not worked very well. I do not know very many education boards across Canada that actually had to sit down, on the school basis, or whatever, for example, you go to the Baffin Divisional Board of Education of 13,000 people, about 3,000 students, who have to create their own material to teach in their schools. That is very unique. Now there are unique factors involved in that because of the mandate that the divisional board of education has given, but it still leaves a shortfall in the program materials. I do not know if the department has looked at somehow assisting the seven, eight and nine, especially in light of the recent information being brought forward by these groups. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.