Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a motion.

WHEREAS Members of this Legislative Assembly have repeatedly raised concerns about the quality of high school education in small community schools and the need for many high school graduates to receive upgrading before continuing on to post-secondary studies;

AND WHEREAS graduation rates remain low in small communities relative to the Northwest Territories average;

AND WHEREAS schools delivering grades 10 to 12 need a minimum of three secondary teacher positions in order to deliver the required range of programming;

AND WHEREAS schools with fewer than 20 full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades 10 to 12 do not receive funding for three teacher positions under the current formula;

AND WHEREAS quality high school education is an essential building block in achieving this Legislative Assembly’s goal of healthy educated people and this government’s Building our Future and Maximizing Opportunities strategic initiatives;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories revise the school staffing funding formula to ensure that all schools with at least 10 full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades 10 to 12 receive funding for at least three secondary teacher positions.