Debates of March 18, 2004 (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have done regularly during my time as an MLA, I attended the parent advisory group meeting at Range Lake North School last evening. In listening to the parents, Mr. Speaker, I was reminded again -- and it is my job, I believe, to remind this House again -- about the situation of crowded classrooms in our Yellowknife schools.

Mr. Speaker, while the last Assembly made important progress in reducing the pupil-teacher ratio by legislation from some, I believe, 18:1 to about 16.5:1 and even in a shorter time frame than originally planned, this has not resulted in a noticeable improvement in actual class size as we had anticipated.

Mr. Speaker, I have seen for myself how crowded the classrooms are with too many students, especially in the upper grades 7 and 8 at Range Lake North School. When added with the pressure of having the students with varying levels of needs in attention and instruction requirements, the teachers and students are really feeling the impact of this seriously less than adequate situation.

Mr. Speaker, I also know that this is something that is being experienced at practically all the schools in the city. As we enter into the details of our budget in earnest today and knowing what we know about the financial pressures we’re in, I nevertheless believe that I will have to do my utmost to make sure that the essential programs and services as important as educating our children and the condition under which they are learning will be protected and enhanced to the fullest extent possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause