Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak to the proposed amendments to the Education Act. Mr. Speaker, the proposed amendments to the Act address two major issues that are crucial to improving education in the Northwest Territories; pupil/teacher ratio and student support services.

In terms of pupil/teacher ratio and student support services, the amendments propose to reduce the pupil/teacher ratio over a period of four years. Lowering the pupil/teacher ratio will affect class size. The research in this area is overwhelming. Small classes improve children's learning conditions. In smaller classes, teachers are able to spend more time with individual children and are better able to meet their needs. It just makes sense, Mr. Speaker. The individual help children receive decreases as the number of students in the classroom increases. In their research, they conclude average pupil achievement increases as class size decreases.

In terms of student support services, our classrooms consist of students with varied backgrounds, abilities and needs. Today our students are faced with many challenges. They need support services more than ever. The amendments propose to increase funding to student support services from 8.2 percent of total schools funding to 15 percent beginning the next school year. Mr. Speaker, our students need this support.

A Yellowknife educator says;

"while the focus in education over the past 10 to 15 years has been to integrate special needs students and towards inclusionary education, I do not feel money and resources have accompanied this goal, rather regular classroom teachers have been asked and expected to meet the diversity and intensity of needs."

This is a systematic problem that needs to be addressed and this is echoed throughout the Northwest Territories. The proposed amendments to the Education Act will affect every student in school in the Northwest Territories. These amendments are supported by all the partners in education; teachers, parents, school trustees and divisional educational councils and educational authority members. More teachers and more student support forces cannot help but have a positive effect on our educational system.

Mr. Speaker, our educational system must focus on promoting the success of all children as learners and on developing the talents and potential of each child. To do this, we ask that legislators ensure the funding is in place to provide quality education and equal opportunity to all children in the Northwest Territories. The proposed amendments to the Education Act are a good beginning to doing this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. To the principle of the bill. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a step in the right direction, but I do not think it goes far enough.

I believe we have to deal with education in the context of all elements, not only with teaching, but ensuring we have the resources and the expertise in the classroom to deal with many of the social problems we see in our small communities. I am talking about FAE and FAS. Fetal alcohol syndrome affects many of our smaller communities.

One of the concerns I have is that I do not believe that this will deal with the problem of dealing with large communities versus small communities, and how a community the size of Tsiigehtchic, where you have 170 people, has three teachers, but you have also transferred the authority of improving our education by having kindergarten to grade 12 in many communities.

However, we do not have the human resources to ensure the quality of education in those communities, ensuring the students are treated fairly. It does not matter where they are. We have to ensure they have the programs in math, science, chemistry, whatever they need to ensure that when they graduate high school and move on to post-secondary education, they have the education and the marks to get them to the second step. This does not deal with that.

I feel strongly that in order for this Act to really encompass education, you have to look at it in the context of all the implications we face in our small communities. I feel there has to be a mechanism of measuring the programs or legislation we pass in this House to ensure it really meets the intent it was set for.

I have seen too many times where our high school students in our smaller communities have to prepare their own curriculum material in order for them to be taught because there is a lack of materials in our classrooms. They have to go out and develop their own curriculum. It is the same for the teachers. There is no more money in the system for them to be able to purchase simple things to deliver the quality of education we need in our classrooms.

This is a band-aid on a major cut. I think we have to seriously look at the other elements when we review this bill. I have asked the Minister to consider having the ability to open up this legislation to allow us to deal with the education problem at this time, without having to come back in another couple of months to deal with these other major problems. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. To the principle of the bill. The Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak in favour of the principle of this bill.

I have always been in favour of whatever would be in the best interests of the school children in our Territory. I think it is particularly important that we are going to commit to increasing the funding for special needs. Having been the Minister of Education for some time, I certainly saw that as being the major area of concern in our classes in the North.

We certainly have a large number of young people who need special assistance. If this bill will ensure some of that support in the classroom, which should have been there when we legislated inclusive schooling, and has not been there for some time now, will actually get there, then I really appreciate seeing this brought forward. I was in support of it in the last government, because we signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the NWTTA to achieve the same goals.

As my colleague for Thebacha has pointed out, this does represent a bit of a different situation in the manner in which it is being instituted. With it being legislated this way, and with us knowing we do not have any additional funds to put into the program right now, we are going to have to be vigilant about where the funds come from. I would hope we are talking about from outside the program, so we are not taking funds from daycare centres or other important social programs to put into the classroom. We need to make sure this is additional money from outside the Department of Education if it is going to achieve these very important goals.

As I said, the most important part of this is the support for special needs. There is very little research on the importance of class sizes. What has come out is that it takes a class size of less than 17 before you can see any measurable difference in achievement. Given the pupil/teacher ratio that we are going for here, and recognizing that that is just a level of funding, it is inconceivable that we will actually be achieving, in the real world, class sizes of less than 17.

But I think the most important part here is that this will help bring down the size of the classes to ensure that, with the special needs support they will be getting in the classroom, the teacher will have a better chance of being successful.

While I do support the principle of this bill, it has set a precedent in that this government has negotiated something that will affect other employers in the Northwest Territories. This being set in legislation, will then require Yellowknife Education District No. 1 and Yellowknife Education District No. 2 to institute the same requirements.

They have, without an employer being at the table, set the precedent of negotiating an agreement and then enshrining it in legislation. That is a precedent that I am somewhat concerned about, particularly in the case of Yellowknife boards. Those boards will not see the full revenue this government will pass on to other boards in the Northwest Territories to make sure this change in the class size and this support for special needs takes place.

In Yellowknife, the boards do not receive the same level of funding. They are only funded for 75 percent of the cost of delivering the education in kindergarten through grade eight. I have some concerns about this bill and how it will be achieved, Mr. Speaker. I think it is only fair to give the government notice that in the committee review, I will be wanting to address a couple of those issues. But I certainly support the principle of the bill and will be voting in favour of it today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. To the principle of the bill. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lakes, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is anybody in this Assembly that would say this initiative is a poor one. The fact is we are putting more money into education, which is badly needed. But it is the method of how this is occurring I wish to address. Mr. Speaker, this bill deals strictly with the pupil/teacher ratio. Simply lowering class sizes will not bring about the desired results, which is a quality education.

The fact is this bill alone continues to show how we, as a government, passed and continue to move in a way that is not dealing with the actual problem, but skirting around the issue and putting out fires. We have heard many times that special needs is a large problem for the schools in the Northwest Territories.

Hopefully, these new positions that will be created will be directly targeted to the early grades. As the studies show today, if we are going to have an impact on a child's life, to let them be allowed to be better people in our societies, we are going to have to get to them by the time they are six years old. We should be aiming for that target. If we are going to make a real difference to the education system we know, we are going to have to focus, not just cover a whole area like we are spreading butter on bread. We are going to have to target these expenditures. I hope that is what the department will do with this at the end of the day.

Mr. Speaker, it is the quality of our education system that is in question. Many people will say we have a good system. In the current education system, a system we call now the pure or passing, where you do not need your grade level. They keep you with your age group and move you along so that you are not "damaged". I think those individuals, by the time they become young men and women and realize they do not have the marks of someone in grade nine or ten, it is then they are negatively impacted.

One more thing in the area of quality education. Hopefully, this will be targeted so we can start working at the quality of our system. We have a lot of hard working individuals in our system. I have spent some time around a large number of children in the grade three and four area at one time, helping out with the vacation Bible school in Inuvik. I know the pressure they are under. It is difficult to handle children at that stage. But one of the things that is undeniable in the Northwest Territories is that we could probably find in every community, that teachers are sending their own children to southern institutions for a better quality education. That shows me we are not dealing with the quality issue. We are putting fires out around the problem.

Special needs is driving the fact that we need more assistance in the classrooms. Why are we not dealing with trying to stop the special needs situation from developing in the first place, instead of dealing with the pressures afterwards? We can look at a number of bills throughout this government, Mr. Speaker, and find that we have failed in a lot of areas.

In the days when there was money flowing like milk and honey out of the promised land, we were able to develop a new program over here and develop a new program there. Those days are gone. We are having to struggle with today's society, which has less money to go around, with increasing pressures. I hope that as this goes through committee, they will be able to explain how this money will be targeted to improve the quality of education, not just by reducing the class size, but by truly directing and targeting our younger children. If we are going to make a difference, it is going to be in the early childhood intervention area, in grades kindergarten to three.

How are we going to use this money to get parents involved to teach their children at a young age to pick up the habit of learning? Simply talking about reducing class sizes over the next few years is not going to do that. Simply talking about student support services is not going to fix the problem. We need to do a comprehensive review. They went through a study. They said to do it this way or that way. Well, I think as a government as a whole, we have to look at it. If our own teachers are sending their children south, that tells me there is a problem. Is this going to fix it? I hope at the end of the day, people will start keeping their children in the North to show that we truly do have a good quality system.

Mr. Speaker, I support the fact we are putting more money into education, as this bill proposes to do so. But I still have very grave concerns on how it is going to be worked into the system. Gone are the days when we just laid dollar on top of dollar, a new program here and there, to try and fix things. That does not work. Previous governments have shown this. Hopefully, starting in the new millennium as the 14th Assembly, we are not going to continue on that path. We are going to mark out a new role and set out new guidelines and expect measurable results. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. To the principle of the bill. The Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? Thank you. The motion is carried. Bill 1 has had second reading and accordingly, the Bill stands referred to a committee. Item 18, second reading of bills. Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1999-2000. The Minister of Finance, the Honourable Joe Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1999-2000, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this Bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. To the principle of the bill. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have some concerns regarding the misuse of the special warrants. We are trying to open this government up to be more open and accountable. You would think with the experiences of the previous government, this government would realize that we will be under scrutiny, not only from Members of this House, but also from the public when it comes to how this government spends its money.

I want to make sure this government realizes this is the first supplementary of this government, but also that there is a history of governance. How we got here today and realizing the conflict of interest inquires and whatnot, there were many questions raised as to how special warrants are used, and to how this government makes decisions. Especially decisions when this House is not sitting.

I feel we should learn from the past. We should realize what we do in this House reflects on all of us as Members and how government spends money. It reflects on how those decisions were made. We have to ensure, as Ordinary Members, we scrutinize the policies, procedures, and the process these appropriations follow.

We now have rules in place which were established by the 13th Assembly that ensure this government is not going to be scrutinized on how we spend our money. Nor will we be scrutinized for the way decisions are made by Cabinet, in light of ourselves as Members.

I would just like to put it on the public record that I have some concerns regarding how this supplementary appropriation has been halved and the misuse of special warrants. After having to make some major cuts as a Member of the 13th Assembly, we cannot go back to the old ways. We have to make sure we realize that we do have limited resources, and we do have some financial restrictions.

We are looking at possibilities of having some major impacts in front of us that we have to ensure that we are ready for when those impacts come upon us. I would like to make it clear to Cabinet and also the Minister of Finance that this government has to ensure there is going to be the public trust in Members and Cabinet Ministers. We have to scrutinize all decisions from the bureaucratic level to those made in this House. We have to make sure whatever rules are in place are carried out.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make it clear that I would like the Cabinet to seriously look at what came out of the conflict of interest inquiry regarding how capital projects are allocated, especially when you see capital projects which were not even in the budgetary process showing up in Ministers ridings through special warrants. I feel those days are gone. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those apposed? Bill 2 has had second reading. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to committee of the whole. Item 18, second reading of bills. Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act. Minister Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. We have a motion. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? Thank you. Bill 3 has had second reading. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to a committee.

Item 18, second reading of bills. Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this Bill amends the Student Financial Assistance Act to increase the aggregate of the principle amount that may be outstanding in respect of all loans made to one person and in respect of all loans made under the Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. We have a motion. To the principle of the bill. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be in favour of this bill today. I would like to talk a little bit about the proposed changes. In 1992 was the last time we raised student financial assistance amounts; 1992 is a long time ago. I think it is high time this government did something to put more money into the pockets of students. This is certainly a step in the right direction. I applaud the government for taking that step.

With tuition skyrocketing, students can no longer cope. I think we can all see that this is a scary reality. However, as we have said many times, there really is no new money. It is very important that we look at exactly where the money for this program is coming from. I think much analysis is needed, and we will look at that in committee, to see if we truly are doing the most equitable and beneficial thing for the Northwest Territories.

I think we have to look at the treatment for the various different groups of students. We say that for some students, we are solving their tax problems by taking away grants and giving them remissible loans. I would argue we are just giving them a whole new set of problems, Mr. Speaker. As to the principle of this bill, I am certainly going to vote in favour of anything that puts more money into the pockets of students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. To the principle of the bill. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting this bill. It is impossible not to support in principle a bill that will get more money into the pockets of students. One of the challenges we face is that this bill does not outline how the program itself is going to run. I know we will have a look at that as we review this in committee.

I wish to make clear what I support in principle; getting more money into the pockets of students. I will not support revisions to a program that increases class divisions among Northerners. I think it is absolutely essential we find a way to get more money to students. I think that means more money in the program. I do not think that can be achieved by just moving money around within the program.

Mr. Speaker, while I support this today, I simply wish to be on record to reserving my right to change my mind in the approach, depending on how the program itself is laid out to a committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. To the principle of the bill. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too support the principle of the bill. I have fought long and hard, especially for the Inuvialuit and Metis people I represent. They have been discriminated against for years, regardless of the fact they are aboriginal people recognized under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. They are penalized by Revenue Canada through the taxation of student loans, while other people do not have the tax problems that the Inuvialuit and the Metis have.

The intent of this bill is to try to remedy that, and put everybody on the same playing field. I support that. I also want to make sure that whatever we do, we do not create another level of bureaucracy, where we find the people we represent, be they Inuvialuit, Metis, or non-aboriginal people, are not burdened by more red tape and bureaucracy. We have to streamline it in such a way that it is accessible, fair and improves the lives of our students when they go off to obtain a post-secondary education.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I think it is important this government consider the possibility of looking at some mechanism to allow this program to take into account that there have been implications on Inuvialuit and Metis students. Financial implications with which they are having some major tax problems due to Revenue Canada. If we can find a way to assist those students, I will support that fully.

With that, I support the principle of the bill. It will ensure this program does not cause another burden for our students. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. To the principle of the bill. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.