Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Success rates in our school are something that needs to be addressed. All of our children need to see the importance of completing their education so that they can be productive members of society for the benefits of the future of the Northwest Territories. A 50 percent territorial graduation rate should not be considered a success. It should truly be a call to arms of this Assembly as a high priority.
School attendance needs to be an area of attention, not just to the high school levels but throughout our education system. A strategy to improve attendance should be aimed towards keeping students interested in learning. However, if a carrot approach doesn't work, other methods need to be found.
The Province of Ontario recently established a new law that would strip drivers' licences from young people under the age of 18 who do not finish their secondary education. This law also moves the mandatory age to remain in school from 16 to 18. Additionally, in its efforts to slash dropout rates in half, the Government of Ontario is using the new law to fine employers who hire or schedule students during school hours. Granted, many students may not excel in some curriculum courses, but as a government we need to develop options, remain flexible, and hold the interest of our students. If we want to produce productive members of society, we must have a hand in creating them, not limiting their skill sets available in our schools.
We all know people's interest lay in many different categories outside core curriculum. Providing students with options that they have active interest in, take pride in, and want to do, will produce people who excel and want to do good in school and finish. I would like to see a partnership between the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Transportation to join forces in a project like the one in Ontario that is trying, to reduce dropout rates in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, this might not be the right path, but certainly a discussion needs to take place. I wouldn't necessarily advocate taking someone's driver's licence away because they didn't finish school, but, Mr. Speaker, again it needs to be the highest priority to ensure our kids graduate from high school. Thank you.
---Applause
