Debates of June 5, 2006 (day 5)

Topics
Statements

Member’s Statement On Recognition Of The Parents And Graduating Students Of The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this month and last month, many parents down the Mackenzie Valley and the whole Northwest Territories and all the students in the schools had something to celebrate. A lot of these parents put their children through high school; blood, sweat and tears of these young students. I know; I put a couple through myself, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these parents when they first put their little ones into kindergarten, you know how time flies. The number of hours, the number of times you talk to your children, get them to school, get dressed, comb your hair, you know? Kiss the boo-boos when they get hurt in school. This bunch, of all the parents that are going to be celebrating in their heart, you know, they wish the best for their children. Some of these students have dropped out, Grade 10, Grade 9, 11, and, lo and behold, some of these students go back into school to get their Grade 12. There were a couple in our region last year that graduated. I understand this year also down in the Sahtu there’s a few students going back to school. There might be some down in your own communities.

Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to say, along with the Minister and Premier who announced today, there is a record number of students who have graduated. Our students are going through the system. They are making it. In the Sahtu, you know, in high school, 33 students this year are going to be graduating from high school.

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In Deline there’s 15 students, for example. Deline has always been a strong community in terms of getting their kids through the high school system. In Tulita there’s only nine this year. So those numbers are improving. We can say a lot of things about our education system, but the parents, they know the value of education, they know what it takes and these communities also. So we’ve got to really tip our hats off to these students that are going to school in this time and age. It’s not like we used to go a long time ago. So in all, in the post-secondary education system and through all different funding from the Sahtu, total of students in our whole region, 61 students at post-secondary school or certificate management, that’s a huge number. So we know we’ve got a bright future. So I wanted to say thank you to all the parents, all the teachers, all the hard work they have done to get these students. These students are number one in my heart and number one in the Territories. You know, they’ve got a good future for them. So thank you, Mr. Speaker. Congratulations.

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