Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in honour of Education Week this week, I would like to join my colleagues here and speak on the education issue. I want to talk about the PTR versus class size.

Mr. Speaker, I am a product of the local education system and I am very proud of what it has offered me. It has given me a lot, especially in higher grades and post-secondary education. I believe we are second to none, but I am worried about the class size in the lower grades.

Mr. Speaker, I know we are proud of our record of putting more money and legislating the PTR ratio to 16:1, but the fact is that as we speak, there are a lot of lower grade classes where there are up to 30 kids in a classroom.

I am really tired of hearing people do not understand the difference between PTR and class size, and then some parents getting upset that we are being funded at the territorial national average. I think in some ways, it is creating division between bigger communities like Yellowknife and other communities. I think that in the communities, schools are crowded as well. It is not right for some people to think there are ten kids sitting with one teacher in a smaller community and 30 kids to one in Yellowknife.

I think we have to revisit what is included in terms of staffing for the PTR. The very pamphlet that the department has sent out shows there are a lot of essential positions that are not included in the PTR formula. The Minister has even communicated in writing to us about what is not included, such as the librarian position, the special physical education position, consultant positions or counsellors.

I understand it is up to the local boards to decide how they are going to use their resources and that affects the class size. To me, Mr. Speaker, that is just passing the buck. It really does not matter who is making the decision. We have to look at the classroom size and these are positions that are essential. If that is bringing up the class size high but keeping the PTR rate low, then we have to revisit that.

I think in the end, what matters is what is happening in reality, not what is happening on paper or what the average is or anything like that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause