Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to advise that when it comes to junior kindergarten in the communities, I have had constituents that are very supportive of it and it is something that we need in the communities, especially small communities, because the stats for progress in writing and reading is so low. In fact, it is so low that the department actually cancelled those Alberta achievement tests, but that is another story.
I certainly support junior kindergarten. I think that will give our younger preschool children a leg up as they enter our schooling system. It’s too bad someone already took the work Head Start, but that certainly will give our children a head start and the results will play out in about a year, after one year is up of operations.
Much concern has been in the paper about junior kindergarten, but that’s all Yellowknife-driven. That’s a fight for three years from now when they actually have to implement it. They’re doing the communities first, so yes, it is raising their ire, but that’s certainly something that can be dealt with and I believe that they will resolve it. I just want to say that, to anybody listening out there, the Junior Kindergarten Program is not bad; it’s a good thing.
Another issue that was raised, and perhaps the Minister can comment, is about the library in Fort Simpson. I have been pressing for that for many, many years. I certainly wouldn’t mind an update about that and how the department has been helpful.
When it comes to reductions, like, a point five position in a small community really affects the school. I just want to ask the Minister, is there a minimum or a baseline that we use to support small communities where if attendance is lower that we won’t reduce it past a certain amount of teachers for a school? I’ll just ask those questions, Mr. Chairman.