Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank the honourable Member for recognizing that our teachers are overworked, averaging 52 hours a week. Research has shown that when teachers have the opportunity to have prep time and prepare for their courses, that students get a quality education, they have enough time to provide quality education, and this was something that came out of a legally binding agreement, collective agreement, between the Teachers' Association and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
If the Member would like, the honourable Members would like, we can resend the package that we did send them. Our office is looking to set up a meeting with the Standing Committee on Social Development to look at giving that briefing to Members, but this was a collective agreement, and I just want to let the Members know that, and it's something that's going to enhance the quality of education and quality teaching that teachers provide. Plus, it also gives them the opportunity for professional development.
So there was research done behind it, and we're not just throwing things out there just because we think it's the right thing to do. We work with our teachers and the NWT Teachers' Association. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to be clear, this wasn't about money at all; this was something that was collectively agreed upon between the NWT Teachers' Association and the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.