Tabling of documents. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Tabling of documents. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table some documents, a package of 37 form letters from UNW members expressing their concerns with the pay equity and current collective bargaining impasse with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tabling of documents. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table 10 letters from UNW members asking that this government deal with pay equity issues with the current collective bargaining process.

I also have two letters urging more money is put into the education area. Thank you.

Tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Keewatin Central, that Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act and the Justices of the Peace Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Territorial Court Act to provide for the establishment of the Northwest Territories Judicial Renumeration Commission.

This bill also amends the Territorial Court Act and the Justices of the Peace Act, to give Justices of the Peace jurisdiction under the Young Offenders Act. The bill also makes consequential amendments to the Interpretation Act and the Young Offenders Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 17, has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to a committee. Second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters. Bill 7 and State of Education in the Northwest Territories with Mrs. Groenewegen in the Chair.

Agreed.

--Break.

Agreed.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I believe the communities through the elected representatives have requested maybe not an impossible but certainly a difficult task of the Minister and the Department of Education. I think it is fair to say that the rate that we are graduating students in the territories lags behind any of our counterparts in the provinces, but I think it is worth noting that there is a steady increase, at least in the figures that are being presented by the department. I think it would be interesting to know if the numbers of graduates from Yellowknife were removed from the statistics would, whether the number of graduates would, in fact, continue to show a steady increase. I would find that information interesting.

I think the department has an extremely difficult job. When we consider the percentages of students, whom we have in the Northwest Territories in our communities, including Yellowknife, with learning difficulties, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effect, Attention Deficit Disorder, Dyslexia. I think the department has to put more effort into working with the institutions that train our teachers to ensure that the teachers are being provided the best possible tools to deal with the situations that they are going to run into when they go into the classroom. I am not convinced that more work in that area would not benefit the students of the Northwest Territories. I suspect the teachers are not getting as much education on how to deal with these situations in the classroom and I would suggest that students who are not properly diagnosed early stand less of a chance of being successful in their schooling.

I am not convinced that more money thrown at education will solve the problem. I think we have, as a government and the department, to look and do some assessment as to why we are not getting a better increase in our graduate rate. I believe the department and the government have to get the message across to parents and students that the government can no longer provide education and upgrading and more emphasis has to be put into communicating to parents and students that you have to get this education early on. The government cannot continue to provide an education to you from kindergarten to grade 12. It is a one shot where we are running and I believe the Minister has told us in this House before that during the budget cuts that he did remove money from adult education to put into education in the classroom, the kindergarten to grade 12. I think that message has to be continually communicated to parents and parents have to be encouraged to spend more time with their children and encouraging their children to realize the benefits of what an education can do for them and the necessities of that in daily life.