Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I spoke of the fact that some special needs assistants were actually personal care attendants. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell this Assembly whether his department differentiates between special needs assistants and personal care attendants in the school? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe we do not. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell us whether there are any special education requirements or training offered to special needs assistants who have to deal with students who have profound medical issues? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the DECs, through the DEAs, look at this issue and seek assistance wherever possible, and the most appropriate person. We do not have a formalized program on this.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister give any consideration to offering a program at Aurora College to train special needs assistants for the schools?

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I think this is an area that would be a next step in our whole program. Our emphasis has been to put the funding into place, get the funding into the school system. Certainly with the increasing use of special needs assistants in classrooms, classroom assistants, there is a need for us to address the issue of training. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if he has contemplated whether there is any need to have concern about liability issues surrounding the care of students with serious medical needs who are cared for in the school by people who are basically unqualified to do that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is always a concern, of course, with regard to ensuring safety and proper care of individuals. I do believe that principals have guidelines with regard to school operations and individuals that are working within the school. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our act currently requires that by a year hence, we spend 15 percent of our education funding on student support services. If I remember correctly, we set that figure because that was the average that was spent by Canadian jurisdictions. I would like to confirm that is still the case.

Can the Minister confirm that the average Canadian jurisdiction currently spends about 15 percent of their education budget on student support services?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I cannot confirm the amount of funding for special needs. We do have comparisons of PTR, the pupil-teacher ratio. With regard to the amount spent by other jurisdictions in special needs funding, I cannot confirm that here, that it is consistent with other jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker. We may be higher or we may be lower.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If memory serves me right, we were told that was the average when we were talking about Bill 1 right after we were elected. That is why we set the figure at 15 percent. I will ask the Minister, will he find occasion to confirm what the average is across Canada that is spent not just on special needs, but on student support services, which includes a much broader spectrum than special needs, and report to the House what the average is across Canada, please?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will be glad to do that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.