Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I’ve listened over the years and listened to a number of Members’ statements, listened to the government’s position on high school graduates in our small communities, especially in our small communities, Mr. Speaker. In 2009 the Northwest Territories-wide graduation rate was 53 percent. For smaller communities it was at 38 percent, Mr. Speaker.
Knowing these numbers, we are doing a disservice to our smallest communities, especially the students. Most of those who graduate, Mr. Speaker, too many of them have to go back to Aurora College or some upgrading institution just to go and take trades programs or university or any other post-secondary studies. Graduation rates in our small communities are still smaller and lower, compared to the rest of the Northwest Territories.
The reason I bring up this motion is that in our smaller communities especially, we do not have quality programming for grades 10 to 12 students. The current formula now is not doing us any good. Even if you have 10 to 15 students, you need critical mass under the current formula now to have more teachers. Right now you get 2.26 teachers per year in our schools.
Educators are complaining to us in the small communities. We need help in our small communities. We don’t have the higher numbers such as Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith or
Inuvik. They’re okay. They have the critical mass. They have the numbers. In my region we don’t have the numbers. Teachers are frustrated. They have to deliver a program they know darn well won’t meet the quality that they want their students to achieve.
The students are asking for more quality programs and more teachers so they have a chance to at least get into a trades program or university program. They’re saying, what’s wrong with us? Why are we not getting the same type of funding as in Yellowknife or Inuvik? Why can’t they fix that? They can do nothing about that. Then they wonder why they’ll have to go to Aurora College to do an upgrading program; do another year because the current formula doesn’t allow us to do this.
We’re asking for that to be looked at and to be considered, to give our students a fair chance at a career that they choose to pursue.
We’ve done some calculations, some rough estimates using the 2010-2011 student enrolment numbers. We think that it will cost around $150,000, that ballpark. For example, five schools would benefit: Tsiigehtchic, Fort Liard, Dettah, Ndilo and Colville Lake. Schools in that range would benefit greatly. Compared to many other things that this government spends this money on, it would be a small investment that this motion is asking for. It’s also in keeping with the goal we set at the beginning of our term for healthy, educated people and also with the government building our future and maximizing our opportunities and initiatives.
I think that it’s very reasonable to ask for the minimum funding of three person years for schools with grade 10 or more, full-time equipment for students in grade 10 to 12. It’s a reasonable request that this motion is asking for and we think that this small investment will have a big payoff down the road.
I ask for support from the Members on this motion.