Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have asked my department to pay very close attention to this situation. There is a process in place, as I outlined yesterday, for teachers requesting administration days in addition to the professional days that are available to them. I believe professional days are five days a year. I believe the teachers in Inuvik are requesting an additional 2.5 days to do their administrative work. My deputy minister is working on it to see what we can do. At this point, what I require is a community council supporting the teachers and taking it to the divisional board. It is up to the divisional board, if they approve it, to take the request to me. I am told that my office has the authority to grant the wishes if they are supported by both organizations. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of the other school. The only information I have at this point is that it is teachers who are teaching at the SAM School who are concerned about the situation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a student's success in school depends on many factors. One of the most important of these factors is good health. Young people cannot concentrate on their studies if their basic health needs are not being met; for instance, if they are not eating nutritious food, or if they have not had enough sleep. There are also more serious threats to the health of our young people, including high-risk behaviours such as substance abuse.

In order to teach children good health practices, the Departments of Education, Health and Social Services jointly developed the NWT school health program, which became mandatory in all schools in 1987.

It is now important to find out what young people in the NWT have learned about health since the program was introduced. I am pleased to announce that Health and Welfare Canada has given the Department of Education a grant of $125,000 to conduct the first phase of such a study. The Department of Health and a group from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario will assist with the study.

Students will be surveyed about their attitudes toward health, their knowledge about health, and their actual behaviour. It will also assess the effect the school health program has had on the students, as well as the impact of various community factors.

The survey will ask people in the communities, as well as school staff, about the implementation of the health program in their school. This information will help determine how effective the program has been and will help staff from both the Department of Education and the Department of Health in planning for revised and new programs.

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to develop strategies that will help students improve their health, we must first assess what they have learned from the school health program and how other factors affect choices regarding their health. This project will be the first step toward gaining this information. Qujannamiik.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, February 17, 1992, I shall move that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time.

I am not sure if it is a policy or a directive, but it is the practice that we use. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought I had answered that question. If the teachers want to have more time for professional time, if they are requesting more days, they have to go to their principal. If the principal agrees, he goes to the community education council and then the education council could, if they agree, approach me requesting a certain number of professional days. They do not go to the director, the ADM or the deputy minister. They go to the Minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am told that this is driven by union members. As I said, the process is there for teachers to request more professional days if they want. They can go through their community education council and the community education council would ask me. Then I would consider their request. That has not come about. I have not had any information from the community education council requesting professional days. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So far I have not got all the information. I am told that when the teachers want to get more professional time, there is a process in place where a principal and the teachers can request additional professional days from their local education authority to get support, and that education authority could

come to me to request additional professional days. That has not happened so far. My assistant deputy minister was up there some time ago talking to parents and teachers with respect to this particular concern. Once I get the full information that I am requesting through my department, I will have a better answer. It should be soon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The development of a successful education system is based on a partnership between the home, the school and the community. In the Northwest Territories, this partnership has been strengthened by the efforts of many hard-working and creative teachers, as well as by many community people who are willing to share their time, knowledge and skills with our students.

To recognize outstanding contributions to education in the NWT, the Department of Education has established two awards programs.

The Partners in Education Award of Excellence program is designed to recognize non-teaching school staff, such as custodians, secretaries, teaching aides and bus drivers, we well as elders and other community members who volunteer their time. The Excellence in Teaching Awards program is designed to recognize any certified teacher, principal, vice-principal, classroom assistant, teacher consultant or curriculum staff.

Nominations for the awards are sent to the appropriate divisional board or school district for review. Nominees who meet the selection criteria receive a regional award. The boards then send the nominations of the top three candidates in each category to the Department of Education for consideration by a review committee. This committee recommends nominees who deserve a territorial award.

This year seven volunteers and 11 teachers will receive awards. The winners of the Partners in Education Award at the territorial level are: Corporal Dave Grundy and Darrin Myers of Yellowknife; Lynn Rollin and Joy Suluk of Arviat; Ray Sliney of Resolute Bay; John Tinashlu of Repulse Bay; and Laura Vital of Nahanni Butte.

Winners of the Excellence in Teaching Award at the territorial level are: Charles Lirette of Inuvik; Florence Sliney of Resolute Bay; Mary Aliqatuqtuq of Broughton Island; Jaqueline Beland of Coppermine; Elisapee Karetak and Christine Purse of Arviat; Kate McDermott and Winnie Pibus of Iqaluit; and Heather Nolsoe, Sylvia Seto, and Marnie Sherburne, all of Yellowknife Education District No. 1.

Charles Lirette and Florence Sliney have also been named the NWT recipients of the Marshall McLuhan Distinguished Teacher Award. These are national awards which recognize teachers who show innovation and use new technologies in the classroom. Mr. Lirette's name will be put forward as the Northwest Territories candidate to be considered for the national McLuhan Award.

Mr. Speaker, a good education system is the result of the co-operative efforts of many people. I would like to congratulate the winners of this year's Partners in Education Awards and the Excellence in Teaching Awards, and thank them for contributing to our schools. Thank you.