Mr. Silver:   Mr. Speaker, I joyfully stand today to pay tribute to Yukon Education Week on behalf of the Yukon Liberal Party. This year’s theme, “A strong team builds bright futures”, reminds us all of the saying that it does take a village to raise a child. Education doesn’t just happen in the classroom, Mr. Speaker. I think we can all agree that we learn something new every day, which comes from a wide range of sources.

Children spend most of their day being taught in the classroom, but they also interact with many people in the community and learn from them as well. Sometimes it is within this interaction where the greatest lessons are learned. In our day-to-day lives it is the interaction with others and the relationships that we foster that guides us on the path of learning.

As legislators, we need to make sure that our citizens have the opportunity to pursue any learning path that they choose. We need to encourage and foster programs like YNTEP, which promotes First Nation involvement as educators in our communities. We need to encourage community involvement by inviting outside professionals into our classrooms to go beyond the scope of the standard lesson.

Many of our teachers continue to contribute their efforts outside of the classroom, volunteering their time in many extra-curricular programs, such as coaching or instructing or as tutors. Teachers play a large role in the development of our children, not just academically. They teach a child self-worth and how to build confidence; they promote inclusion, which goes beyond the classroom and into the child’s daily life. The stronger we build up the system that surrounds our children, the stronger our children will be. I’ve said this many times before and I will say it again, Mr. Speaker, we have the best students in Canada here in the Yukon and they do deserve the best education in the world.