Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Recently, I had an opportunity to sit down with Pat Thomas, the president of the NWTTA and review some of the areas of concern that seem to be there from their perspective. I have several items that I will briefly run over and then, when we come to the appropriate area within the budget, education and development, I believe it is, I will ask some questions in that regard.

One of the concerns expressed was in the area of resources for programs. The funding needs are viewed as a need for adequate funding for both existing and new programs. For example, $350,000 was allocated apparently for the implementation of the new math program but the text books costs, that is $26.14 per student, the text books alone cost $22.00, so there was not much left over for inservice costs and other materials.

Housing was another area of concern. The high cost of renting and lack of choice are making it difficult for teachers in the smaller communities. In the opinion of the NWTTA, this can have a negative impact upon education in those communities. There is an expectation that more is being asked to be done with less. Teachers feel they are becoming frustrated and adversely affected.

Low morale is another concern. Government restraint and in their case, the loss of wages and benefits have had a negative feeling amongst the teachers. Division is a concern. There is concern about and worries when division happens, will the same level of service continue to be delivered?

Also, the NWTTA has requested that both territorial governments consider paying the wages of the new presidents for a period of time so that stable labour relations can continue. Large, diverse classes, class sizes have been increasing over the last two years. The needs of students are varied and diverse. It is becoming difficult for teachers to meet the needs of all students.

Finally, there was a concern about the school year that is now reported in hours instead of days. Previously, the school year was set in days and not hours. This was changed in the new Education Act. Both the association and the directors and superintendents, reportedly, would like to see this revert back to the school year being set in days, rather than hours. Apparently it is reported this is a contentious issue amongst the teachers. I will probably get into some questions in that area once we get into the appropriate allocation of the budget. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.