Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is an exciting time of year, especially for learners across the Northwest Territories as they graduate from our schools and Aurora College. I have attended several graduation ceremonies in the last few weeks and I would like to congratulate all of our many northern graduates.

Whether they are completing high school or a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, seeing successful graduates is a sign of the health of our learning system and a demonstration of the commitment of our students and their families to educational achievement.

I believe we are now seeing the positive results of grade extensions in the smaller communities, implemented in the late 1990s. In regions across the NWT, we are seeing more young people staying in school in their communities and graduating.

In the Sahtu region, an exciting milestone has been reached this year. For the 2004-05 year, there will be graduates from every school in the region. Colville Lake will have its first graduate this year, after having started their high school program just three years ago.

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The region is also graduating an all-time high of 26 students this year, 10 from Deline alone.

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I am honoured to be attending that graduation ceremony with the MLA for Sahtu on June 9th. Elders, leaders and families can all share in the success of keeping young people in school and supporting them to graduate.

I would like to profile a few of our successful and innovative programs that will contribute to our growing rate of graduations across the NWT:

The Lutselk’e Bush School, which combines conventional high school curricula with learning on the land, has proven to be one particularly successful example of new initiatives in the NWT. The school is comprised of a small group of students, one teacher and two elders. All of those involved live in a group of cabins for two-and-a-half months at a time. While at the camp, the students take instruction in high school courses. At the same time, they assist in the day-to-day operations of the camp. This alternative to standard classroom instruction was developed as another option for those students who had previously not been successful in their secondary education. Though the program is still young, it has already proven effective. This program speaks to the success we can have when we combine education programs with traditional approaches to learning.

In Fort Providence, a night school program was designed for students who had previously dropped out of high school. Of the 13 students who began the program this year, 11 passed their English Language Arts departmental exams and have now finished their secondary schooling. Madam Speaker, this is a remarkable achievement for these 11 individuals who had the courage and commitment to try again and achieve educational success. I would like to commend all of the dedicated partners in this project including school principal Lois Philip and adult educator Margaret Field.

Madam Speaker, at the college level, we have also seen a large number of graduates this spring. These individuals have chosen to follow career paths that are essential to the continued success of our territory, ranging from trades to nursing and teaching. Particularly important to success in this area has been partnerships between the college, aboriginal groups and business and industry. These arrangements have allowed many students to make a smooth transition from post-secondary education to employment.

While these are only a small handful of the many successes that we have seen this year, I think that they provide an effective example of the excellent collaboration between schools, the college, parents, communities and students. This work will ensure that graduates are prepared for the future and that the quality of education available in the North continues to improve. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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