Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m very glad to hear the passion which a number of Members have been speaking about with the Education Renewal Initiative. I think it’s important, as well, to tell the teachers, the principals, the assistants out there, they are doing good at their front-line work, they are working hard,
but we’re talking about a system here that hasn’t been working for a long time.
Our children are failing because we are failing, failing to ensure that they are the smartest and the brightest by having the best education system available. We’re failing to support them, that they will support us in the future.
The 17
Assembly is going to be well known
because of devolution. It’s one of the legacy things that the 17
Assembly will leave behind, but I also
want the 17
Assembly legacy to be about
education renewal.
This will be a true legacy that this Legislature can leave behind. We simply must ensure our students are well educated for our future. We have to give them the drive and desire to learn. It’s not enough to have an education mission statement. We need leadership and desire to make this change. We have to give them dreams. Is it because we stop dreaming? We have to give them dreams about being firemen, RCMP, teachers, engineers, doctors, management and MLAs as well. But we have to have a dream so that they can have the dream. I think it is the dream of Members on this side today. Let’s have a true change to our education system by getting out there, hearing the teachers, the parents, the communities, and it’s about having the right resources. I think we spoke about the wrong programming. We have to have the right resources and give them the right programming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.