Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Parkdale, McCauley, Eastwood, Fulton Place, and Capilano schools are five schools that are on the chopping block tonight. At the same time, the Edmonton public school board is not getting any new resources to support the six schools that they are opening this September. The government is forcing school boards to shift resources from older schools to new ones. I want to ask the Minister of Education why he is forcing school boards to choose winners and losers when the families pay the price.

Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, nobody is forcing anyone to choose winners and losers. What school boards do is make sure that they provide the best possible educational opportunities for all the students they serve within the resources that are available. It's totally wrong to say that there are no new resources for new schools as much as it's totally wrong to say that the closing of older schools that have lost their student populations is simply a money issue. It's about educational programming, and school boards are in the best position to determine how they can best provide educational programming for their students.

Mr. Mason: Mr. Speaker, given that it's absolutely clear from talking to the school board that they have to shift resources, both financial and personnel, from old schools to operate the new ones and that is the primary reason for these school closures, why won't the minister admit that his government's policy is forcing the school board to close these inner-city schools?

Mr. Hancock: Well, I wouldn't admit that, Mr. Speaker, because it's totally wrong. It's not a given that we're forcing school boards to move their resources. School boards have a number of physical resources, called schools, and they have a number of financial resources, and they have, of course, students that need to be served. They have the job of making sure they provide the best possible educational programming for the students that they have to serve. That's why we have local school boards, to meet that local need.

Mr. Mason: Well, he's going to be the minister of busing, not education, in a minute, Mr. Speaker.

Given that the school board is struggling to find ways to support staff for these new schools, it sure looks like they're going through the motions with the school closure process. I want to ask the Minister of Education to ensure that the Edmonton school board in this case but school boards around the province have the resources to operate new schools so they don't have to close old ones. That's what's happening, Mr. Minister.

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is putting the opening of new schools and the closing of other schools into the same package in a very inappropriate way. New schools have been asked for in areas where there is an abundance of students and where an abundance of buses are moving those students longer distances to go to school. They have the resources. If there are students for those schools, then they have the resources to hire the teachers for those schools. That is not a problem. Where school boards do have a problem is keeping open a large number of buildings, many of them old building envelopes, many of them inefficient, paying for the resources to keep those schools open and provide the broad base of educational programs that are necessary for the students.