Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will not be supporting this motion because I believe this program is not fair or fairly distributed to the Northwest Territories. A lot of our schools in the smaller communities, from kindergarten to Grade 12, are only a general program. A lot of students don’t have access to science labs or even biology classes, in most cases, where you can achieve these bursaries. In our case, we don’t have the success because of the programs and services being delivered by the Department of Education throughout the Northwest Territories. It does not give the students the same allocation or same ability to achieve these results and take advantage of these types of programs.

It’s a $400,000 program, Mr. Speaker. If anything, this government should take a look at all bursary programs with regard to the Student Financial Assistance Program and make sure those programs are accessible for all students in the Northwest Territories and not those ones who are receiving a higher level of education because of where they live. I, for one, feel that this is something that has to be considered and something this government has to seriously look at. I am glad the Department of Education is considering looking at these other options so that we can have shop programs in high schools in our communities; have biology labs in our schools and be able to receive the higher level of education throughout the Northwest Territories in all our schools. I think this definitely shows there is a distinct difference between the quality of education and the quantity of education of where it is being provided and the ability of people to take advantage of these types of programs. This Bursary Program, just about all of them, are received in the larger centres, specially in Yellowknife.

Again, I won’t be supporting this motion.