Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Education. It’s in regard to my Member’s statement and the Minister’s statement he made here in the House about the number of absences we’re seeing in our schools and yet, Mr. Speaker, the Sport North organization is having to take a student out of school for some three weeks just to make the trials and also to take part in the trials and then, from there, wait until they have to go to the Arctic Winter Games because of the location where the trials are being held. But yet, Mr. Speaker, other sporting events have taken place over the weekend. They got the students to those events. They flew them back home. They are going to fly them to the Arctic Winter Games where they are not missing any school. I would like to ask the Minister of Education why is it that you are making statements in this House, but yet government agencies aren’t following those statements from this government to ensure the students are being able to sustain as many school hours as they can and not miss three weeks of school. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Member referred to our statements in the House. They are important statements. Having an organization, whether they be NGOs or territorial government organizations, promoting more sporting programs, whether it be Arctic Winter Games trials or Canada Games trials, Winter Games trials, we fully support students participating in those events, Mr. Speaker. At the same time, we are not ignoring the fact that they are missing school or being absent from school on a number of occasions but they go with their homework. They go with their guidelines of what needs to be done. They have a tutor system. They work closely with the teachers. Every opportunity they get in the community, they attend the schools as much as they can in their home riding or wherever they are travelling to. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, but teachers are always on standby. They are available for these students at any given time. Even though they may be absent from school, the work has been done. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I understand if you miss four days of school you are basically not allowed back into the school. I think this government has to, if someone is missing three weeks of school and is a high school student, basically it will affect their grades and possibly have them rejected from that class. As a Minister who is responsible for ensuring that attendance there and working with other government agencies to ensure that we do not see students out of the classroom for more than a couple of days and to find out it is three weeks, I would be concerned too. Would the Minister consider talking to Sport North or the department responsible to ensure we find a solution to this problem and students don’t have to be away from school for three weeks?
Mr. Speaker, such as the Arctic Winter Games, the decision is made way in advance. Sport North, if we continue to work with them through MACA but the dates aren’t even set. We are given opportunity to have our northern athletes. We do have true talented northern athletes that we want to be represented at this national level. At the same time, yes, we continue to work with NGOs or territorial organizations for the territorial government to meet the standards of students’ education factor. While they are out doing trials, they are still educating themselves. Mr. Speaker, we must assure that in this House we continue to make those successful recreational programs and at the same time education factor is part of the overall play. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I was hoping through the Minister I would be able to find a way to work around the situation with the students. They don’t have to be out of school for three weeks. They can have the sporting event over a weekend. They can fly them to the event, take part in the event, fly them home and then basically, if they qualify for the games, fly them to the games after the qualifications, but don’t keep them in the South Slave for two weeks because the event is happening in Grande Prairie. That is what I am asking of the Minister. Would he seriously consider talking to these organizations to try to find a way that those students could go back home and also be able to complete their studies in their home community in regards to their schooling and not have to stay in the South Slave for over three weeks? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, yes, I would follow through with that with organizations. At the same time, we do have representatives here as well. The Aboriginal Sport Circle and also the sports organizations are clearly listening to us as we speak. So, with that mindset, we will certainly collaborate together and move forward. But this is a great opportunity for our representatives to be at the national stages, so we will support them, as well, through our educational system. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the organization that he should be talking to is Sport North. They are the ones that are basically responsible for the trials for the Arctic Winter Games. I would like to ask the Minister if he can try to resolve this problem as soon as possible, because a lot of the parents are concerned that their children are going to be missing a lot of school and that they don’t want to see them pulled out of schools because of the amount of time that they are going to be away. Again, I ask the Minister to sit down with Sport North to find a solution to this problem so that the students don’t have to miss as much school. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we are always looking for solutions. If there is a challenge on our hands such as we are maybe facing today, but at the same time we can certainly correct those areas. I am glad the Member is raising those issues, so we will certainly follow through with it. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
