Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have questions for the Minister of Education regarding the overcrowding of students and staff at Mangilaluk School.
Can the Minister commit to visiting my community of Tuktoyaktuk to see this firsthand after session? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I will commit in this House to visit the school in the Member’s riding and other schools as well. That’s one of the commitments that I’ve made. I need to visit all schools, if it’s at all possible during the life of this Assembly, just to see for ourselves what the students and the staff and the resource people and the parents are going through. That’s the commitment I’ve made. Sometime after session we can make arrangements and a time to meet.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. You almost answered my second question. I was going to invite you to a community meeting in the community of Tuk to meet with the residents and talk about the situation at Mangilaluk School.
Just to have it clear and on the record, you’re going to be coming to the community of Tuk first, and then we’ll go out to visit all the other communities.
Mr. Speaker, we make those arrangements every time we meet with the communities, whether it be the schools or other departments if they come along. We meet with certain resource people. We do initiate a public forum, as well, and community meetings, leadership meetings. So, certainly, those we’ll take into consideration when we visit the community. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Would the Minister be willing to work with me and my community to make this a priority?
Mr. Speaker, certainly, there are issues we need to deal with in all communities. This is one of the areas I would like revisit and meet with Mr. Jacobson on and identify areas of concern and issues, whether it be the school or the community, and have more discussion at the community level, as well, when we are meeting with parents or the leadership and vice versa. I need to listen to some solutions as well, so that is why we are here: to work with the Members. I certainly will commit to working with the Members on this matter. Mahsi.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
