Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, as I had indicated earlier, the intent of this motion is to have consistency across the Northwest Territories in the core subjects in grade 11. The reason for that is to ensure that students across the North receive the same education. Those students, Madam Chairperson, deserve the same education no matter where they live, and it is up to us to ensure that this can happen. The MLAs in this building were voted upon by their constituents to ensure that people are treated fairly and consistently no matter where they live. The Minister of Education, at least the former Minister of Education, Honourable Mr. Dent, who is now the Finance Minister, so he is a very Honourable Mr. Dent now. Madam Chairperson, the Minister of Education, the former Minister of Education has told us many times that most jobs now need a minimum of 16 years of education, I believe this is what he said. Sixteen years of education, Madam Chairperson. Sixteen years of education means that you have to finish high school and to be able to get into university or college and then you have to be able to have a good enough education so that you can complete your university or college program.
In order to prepare our students properly so that they can finish their university and college educations, we must ensure that when students move from one region to another, when they start a new program at another school, that they do not have to repeat a grade. Madam Chairperson, this, of course, will save money for this government in the long run which, I am sure, the Minister of Finance will be grateful for and the Minister of Education as well. Whoever the Minister of Education is in the future, because if students are able to go to university and finish their education without having to repeat their courses over and over, then that saves us money because they only have to go once and go straight through for four years.
Madam Chairman, there are other reasons why we need to ensure consistency, why we have to ensure a quality education for our students. We need leaders in the future. Those children out there, these young Pages, those are our future leaders. We need them to become MLAs. We need them to become chiefs, presidents of Metis locals, mayors of hamlets, cities, towns, band counsellors. In order to have a good leadership in the future, Madam Chairperson, we need to ensure a consistent quality education across the Northwest Territories. Madam Chairperson, the way that we wish to ensure this quality education across the Northwest Territories is to ensure that at the grade 11 level, that the core subject courses of math, social studies, and sciences have territorial department examinations. With that, Madam Chairperson, once again I would like to indicate that I will be voting in favour of this motion. I am sure the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and the Minister of Finance will join me, as well as the rest of the Cabinet as I am sure they would also like to see a consistent, quality education across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.