Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think by now everyone knows that there are problems with our education system in the Northwest Territories. The recent Minister's Forum on Education consulted with residents on their views on ideas for our education system. The forum made recommendations to better the education system.

Unfortunately, the major problem with implementing all of the forum's recommendations is inadequate funds. The Northwest Territories is using an education system that does not have the money to implement properly. As a result, we have watched the system deteriorate and become a major concern for the people of the Northwest Territories. In recent years we have seen stress placed upon the system with things like new curriculum, increased class sizes, higher education requirements for employment, and higher costs of supply and services.

Mr. Chairman, if we do not address the situation, the quality of education in the NWT will continue to deteriorate. We have choices to make as a government and I believe that we can increase the funding to education and this is the avenue that we must focus our efforts upon.

Mr. Chairman, most of us as MLAs have received documents and information, I really want to say how pleased I am with the members of the public who have given considerably of their own time and effort into communicating to us what the existing situations are in the classrooms, schools and education system. I find that people are not just sitting back and complaining, but they are taking a very proactive approach to this problem. When the people begin to get involved like that, I think it is very commendable and it should send a very loud message to this government that the people are not satisfied with the education system and the funding that is allocated for it at this time.

I have received excellent feedback from my constituents and I had received a copy of a letter that was actually penned by Mr. Kern Von Hagen, the principal of St. Patrick High School. In that letter, there is a list articulated of some of the challenges that are facing our education system and I just want to briefly read it. I think it is a very succinct and articulate list. It said, we have among the highest pupil/teacher ratio in Canada. We have the highest level of special needs students in Canada. We have the highest level of illiteracy in Canada. We have the highest dropout rate in Canada. We have the highest youth suicide rate in Canada and we have one of the lowest levels of funding. Only 28 percent of students in the NWT graduate from high school. Mr. Chairman, I think that everyone will concur that these statistics are very alarming and that if we allow this condition in our education system to persist, it will be a recipe for disaster in the future. We will see extra burden placed on all of our social programs and services in the Northwest Territories. I am not sure of the statistics on it, but a dollar not spent on worthwhile education now becomes a very much greater cost in the future when we have to look after people who are incarcerated and who are very dependent on us as a government in the area that they have needs in their lives for.

We have heard from people who are on the front lines, in the classroom every day. It is not easy for us as legislators to really fully appreciate some of the challenges that are in the system. I have heard it said in this House that there have been no cuts in education. I think that everyone knows that we have in fact experienced an exodus of people from the North recently which has reduced the formula funding that we received from Ottawa. What we do have remaining in the Northwest Territories is a very young population. That population needs to be educated. This puts a growth factor on our system and it puts a stress on our system that we cannot be complacent about, but absolutely must address. If it would be appropriate now, Mr. Chairman, I do have a few questions for the Minister that I will incorporate under general comments.

It is in the area of administration costs. There have been comments made in this Legislature with respect to the fact that Ordinary Members sit on committees and that we do consider the Main Estimates in committee behind closed doors before they come into this House. In our education system, there are many levels of administration. They include departmental, regional operations, district boards, at which there are seven at this time, community administration, school administration, college, headquarters and campus administration, and even program administration. Administration at each of these levels, although very necessary, cost a lot of money. The Department of Education supplied the following information to us. They indicated that ECE was around $2.2 million, the board administration is at $4.1 million, community administration at just under $1 million. That comes to $7.33 million being spent on administration for schools alone. This is slightly over 9 percent of the total budget. Then there is, as I mentioned, the college administration as well. Further, the directorate has an operating budget of $5.4 million. I was wondering, can the department and the Minister identify how much of its money is being spent on administration at the departmental, regional, board community and program level? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.