Thank you. I don't think we're getting back after August, so I guess it will have to be the next Assembly that we'll have to look at that question.

I have one more follow-up question on this page, page 8-18, and it has to do with language and culture instruction, aboriginal languages. I just want to ask a general question on that because in Yellowknife, both school boards are working really hard on that programming and I think the budget has been expanding and the

programming has been expanding. I think it would be beneficial for us in order to give our kids, all our kids, not just aboriginal kids, but all our kids an opportunity to learn about the aboriginal culture and languages, at least within our areas. I know that all the programming that that gets delivered under...I'm talking about both school boards because I don't want to be pointing to one board, but I think that there is a desire on the part of students and parents to have their kids exposed to that programming, whether they are aboriginal or not. We are a big community and we should all learn about each other as much as possible and kids learn best when they are exposed to this. I'd like to know if the Minister would be willing to look at enhancing the program and expanding it so that as many kids as possible could take advantage of it. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If you look at the language and culture instruction line on page 8-18, you'll see that the numbers have increased year over year. Is it as much as we'd like to do? Perhaps not; but in looking at where we can make the investments, we felt that the investments in increased physical activity and trades training and concentrating on the PTR and the student support we're the highest ones for this year. I agree with the Member that it makes the most sense for the schools to allow everybody to participate. I believe that most of the schools have looked for ways to do that. I would agree that it's an area that we want to concentrate on and we are finding ways to do minor increases every year. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister Dent. Next on the list I have Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wanted to ask the Minister some questions on curriculum development and how it is that over the years there's been a downward trend on physical education in our schools. Much of the news in the past few years has been talk of childhood obesity, the fact that as a society we're getting more obese, we're not as active. This causes me a great deal of concern given the fact that I think, and I haven't got the statistics to prove it, but I went to school from Grade 4 to Grade 12 here and when I was in school we had phys. ed. class at least three times a week. A dedicated phys. ed. teacher was there dressed in gym pants and a T-shirt instructing us in physical education, and if you go to the schools nowadays, it's a teacher in high-heeled shoes, it's a teacher in a three-piece suit, and it's just not conducive to children getting the physical education requirements that they need. I think we could do more in this area. I don't know if the Minister has a plan to try to get more funding into physical education in our schools, but I'd like to hear what the Minister has to say in that regard. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member's absolutely right that we need to get more physical activity in our schools. That's why one of the key initiatives that's been announced in this budget is a reduction over the next two years in the pupil/teacher ratio to ensure that in each school we can have somebody whose focus is on physical activity. I guess that's the key thing I want to make clear here. We're not talking about phys. ed. and we're not necessarily talking about phys. ed. teachers in gym shorts and a T-shirt, because physical activity is something that all students should participate in every single day, but it doesn't have to be in a gym.

Last week I attended a meeting of the Education Ministers from all across Canada and at our meeting, which was hosted by the Minister from Ontario, the Minister from Ontario brought in a group from a local K to 8 school and they showed us how they were ensuring that there was at least 20 minutes of physical activity to begin every day in the school. It didn't involve gym at all. What it involved was 40 young Grade 8 students who had been trained to go into each of the classrooms at the beginning of every day and get everybody involved in a routine. It was basically done to rap music, and the teachers were all participating, too. So as long as we can get that kind of intense physical activity happening in the classroom, that's also one way in which we can ensure that we improve the physical activity of youngsters.

But I agree with the Member that we need to put more of an emphasis on it, and that's why we've said in this budget there's one-half of a PTR and that will be followed next year by another half of a PTR. We're going to ensure this money will be coffered. It has to go towards physical activity. So we'll be putting in place some regulations to ensure that in every school they're using this money to enhance physical activity for all the kids. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Dent, my curiosity begs me, the question begs to be answered, when these folks came in to show you this routine to rap music, did the Education Ministers participate? Mr. Dent.

---Laughter

Madam Chair, we were invited and we all looked to our host, the Minister from Ontario, and said we would follow him up on the floor if he led, and he declined.

What kind of support is that for physical education? Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think physical activity is great and if the Minister did take part in the routine, he could be sweaty with the rest of the kids for the balance of the day. That's not a really good way to start out your day, is to get the activity, sweat, and then sit there and try to get instructed in mathematics or English or whatever subject you're taking and sit there. I think we need to get kids into a gymnasium, into where they can actually work up a sweat, participate in sports, and then have the ability to go in and clean themselves up, have a shower, and go back to learn some more.

I'd like to ask the Minister if he could get, and I'm sure the department has the statistics on this, but over the past 10 years has there been a decline in the amount of time that students...and you can start at Grade 1 and go through until Grade 9, I guess. That's when gym becomes an option, after Grade 9. What has been the decline in time that kids actually get to spend in a gymnasium with a dedicated physical education teacher? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member may not accept that that's physical activity, 20 minutes of physical activity at the beginning of the day is a good way to go, but I can tell you that every teacher that I've talked to thinks that it is. It doesn't mean that they have to be sitting in class all sweaty. We're not talking about the sort of intense activity that you would have in a gym, nor does this replace the time in the gym. But this is an additional 20 minutes of physical activity that right now we know that kids aren't typically getting. All of the research says that people should be active every single day and it's not enough to be active just three or four times a week. So we want to make sure that on top of gym, we're getting kids active. I'd certainly be happy to see if we can find out what's been the trend in terms of physical education in the Northwest Territories over the past few years. We'll have to see if we can get some of that information back. To the best of my knowledge, I don't think that there has been a reduction in physical education. What we're looking to do though is increase the physical activity.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister for that and look forward to any information that he might have in that area. That leads me into another subject and I want to talk about music. They're like the dinosaur; the music teacher has gone extinct, music teachers in our schools. For whatever reason, students aren't being instructed in music or don't have the ability to attend music classes like they were in the past. Industrial arts is another area. I know both high schools have gone to great lengths to get programs up and running, but we seem to not have the full range of subjects that were available a number of years ago. We're spending $270 million in Education, Culture and Employment. I know there's some that goes not all to education, but it's a tremendous amount of money and to think that we don't have the full scope of subjects and teachers, it causes me a great deal of concern, Madam Chair. I'd just like to ask the Minister if there's any...and you can talk about librarians, too. I think they should be included in this as well. Where have all the librarians gone? Where have all the music teachers gone? What's happening? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Back in 1994-1995, when the federal government cut our funding so significantly, the Northwest Territories went from having the lowest pupil/teacher ratio in Canada to having the highest. After we add these two positions that we're talking about adding back in through the next three years of our budget process, we still won't be back to where we were in the mid-'90s. So when the Member talks about not having the same sort of resources available in terms of the pupil/teacher ratio in the classroom, he's absolutely right. This Legislative Assembly hasn't been able to put back in the amount of money yet that was taken out to accomplish that. So it would take considerably more money than what we're providing now to ensure that we could provide the extras like that.

However, that said, we've become aware of a way of teaching music that may be of interest. It's being used in New Brunswick. The department is taking a look at it and we may be able to, through distance education, offer something that is quite reasonable to students across the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister for that. Again, it's hard to imagine a $1.2 billion budget and, like I mentioned, we're spending $280 million in this area. I know the levels aren't up to where they were in the mid-'90s, but we have to -- I've said this before and I'll say it again today -- I think we have to take a look at our operation from top to bottom, top to bottom, to try to find ways or means to get the children -- and the children are the future here -- every available subject into the schools. Music, industrial arts, libraries, physical education. Those are the things that are important. Every time you turn around, we rush out and we're hiring policy analysts. This year alone we've grown the public service by 101 positions. Madam Chair, I really think we lose focus of the...We really need to do something with our schools and the availability of teachers for our students. If we're not doing that, we're failing the children, Madam Chair. I really do think we need a top to bottom look at our entire operation to try to find more money to get the levels to where they were in the mid-'90s. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I agree with the Member that we need to focus on education. I think our government has done pretty well, considering the amount of growth in funding over the years and the amount of money that we've managed to put back into the classroom is pretty impressive. As Ms. Lee pointed out, since 1999 we've brought the PTR down from 18.5 to one to, after we institute these two, what will be 14 to one. That's a tremendous investment and it's taken a lot of money; and those aren't headquarters positions, those are people in the classrooms. The money that we're spending on student support, that's money that's going to the classroom as well. We've increased that funding by millions of dollars over the same period of time.

I think the Members of this Legislative Assembly have shown that they want to see the money going back into the classroom and that we are moving to get there. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. I'll remind Members that we are on page 8-17, activity summary, education and culture, operations expenditure summary, $170.160 million. On the list I have Mr. Pokiak and Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just following the line of my colleague Mr. Ramsay here, I guess, under curriculum. The Minister spoke this morning in regard to high school graduation numbers increasing, in his statement. I'd like to ask the Minister, in the Beaufort, are there any numbers that he can provide to me anyway with regard to how many of these graduates actually pursue post-secondary education with the level of education that's provided to them? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Dent.