Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too have some concerns in the area of education in light of what is going in the Mackenzie Delta with regard to the oil and gas sector. We still have a real problem especially when we are trying to keep our students from dropping out before they have a chance to conclude high school. In the Delta, it is a real problem where we are not seeing the graduation rates we should be.

In most communities, we have not had any graduates in our communities for a number of years. We have to do more to assist our students to understand the importance of education, but also making them aware that they have to realize that with all these opportunities, you have to have an idea of where you want to go and how you get there.

We have to take the time with the students when they are in grade seven or eight or sooner, so people know that career planning is important. You have to be able to determine exactly what it is you want to get into. What courses do you need to get there?

Mr. Roland touched on it, where we see a lot of students get through the system, but after they get through the system and they try to find a job, they find out that they do not have the qualifications or they do not have the education that is needed to take on these different opportunities and jobs that are out there.

It is important that as a government, we seriously look into this problem, realizing that the industry, oil and gas, diamonds or any private sector out there, are requiring people with higher and higher education qualifications to take on these jobs that are out there.

Talking to people in the oil and gas industry is important as well, so they too are willing to work with the government, work with the Department of Education to identify what their needs are when it comes to different areas.

A lot of these companies and corporations have scholarships and different program manuals they develop themselves, in which they work all around the world in different areas, regardless of whether it is in northern Canada or foreign countries. They have confronted this problem. We are seeing the problem in the diamond industry, especially around literacy.

That is another problem I see we are going to be facing in the oil and gas industry unless we do something now and make it mandatory that we develop different curriculum in our schools, so we know we have the sciences, the math, the biology, chemistry. People need these courses to be able to get the grades needed to get the high paying jobs that are out there. Sure, you can get the people through the system, but at the end of it all, if all they are going to get is the low paying jobs, either labour or else finding jobs in the lower ranks of the wage scale, it is all for naught.

I believe we have to do more to develop the education funding programs we have and make them more accessible to all students, regardless of whether they live in the communities. I mentioned in the House about students in the Arctic College program and trying to access the different government programs with respect to child care subsidies, so students could access these programs more readily and faster than we are presently doing.

I think we have to work in conjunction with other agencies within our communities and also agencies that are presently being funded through federal dollars in different programs. We have seen those programs working in the other areas in our communities. Brighter Futures is one, and there are other programs that are out there. I think we have to work with the institutions and organizations that are in our communities so we are better able to deliver these programs and services closer to the people, closer to the students in our communities.

We have to seriously look at the quality of education that we are delivering and ensure that the teachers and the people we have in the different positions in our communities have the qualifications and are teaching the curriculum, and they understand exactly what is going on. We have to ensure that we have a high standard that we set, not only for the students, but our teachers, to ensure that the programs and the education curriculum is being delivered with the strong expectation of meeting high goals.

I also feel that it is important that as a government, we do more in the way of ensuring the student financial assistance program has to be taken out of the major centres and given to either the divisional education boards or closer to their regional centres, or closer to the college programs that are being delivered.

We are delivering three major college programs: one in Fort Smith, one here in Yellowknife, and one in Inuvik. If we can somehow tie them into the college system so students could register at the regional college or access those programs at the regional colleges, it would make it a lot closer and easier for the students at the regional level.

If possible, in the future, to look at having it delivered or accessed through community programs, either through the employment process that we have in place or through the income support system that we have out there.

I think it is also important that we consider ways we can assist students if they are falling behind on a particular year or if they need more credits. In southern Canada, you hear a lot of students taking summer schooling programs. If there is some way we could do that in the North to assist students who may want to take maybe one course just to get their credits up in one area, so they are able to take summer school instead of having to waste a whole year to go back and redo the whole course. They are able to do it in a short period of time, so when the next semester comes around, you are able to get back into it without having to waste a whole year just to make up those extra credits that you need to get into that next year.

You see a lot of that happening, especially in southern Canada. That is something we should seriously consider in the North so we are able to use the whole school year, not just parts of the year, and students are able to make up that time. If they are falling behind in a certain area, they are able catch-up on their courses, so they are not wasting a whole year to go back and redo the whole thing over.

I think it is important that we start expanding the education system, especially in the area of literacy. From what we have seen with the experiences we had with the diamond industry, I think that in the regions where we have the oil and gas industry, we will have the same problems. The education rates we have and talking to a lot of people who are in the industry, they are already seeing that. People are not understanding particular documents that they have to know or understanding manuals that they have to understand.

As a government, we will probably have to be there to assist, similar to what we are seeing happen with BHP on their literacy program. I think it is important as a government that we try to strive in those areas to put more money into literacy in order for people to have success in these jobs.

The other area that some people touched on is regarding the cultural aspect of the department. From the region I come from, the Gwich'in group I represent are really losing their culture and their language. As a department, we have to put a priority on the whole aspect of culture and trying to find ways of enhancing the language, especially the ones that are in dire straits and do need assistance from this government to find new ways or initiatives in dealing with that. Those are some of the issues that I have. Thank you.