Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker only three schools in the NWT are at capacity. One of the schools is the school at Ndilo, K’alemi Dene, and it’s the only school that has over 100 students that doesn’t have a gym. I’d like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if the Minister will ensure the needs of education capital, specific to KDS are in the 20-year capital needs assessment? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we are aware of the situation down at Ndilo with K’alemi Dene School. Just a little bit of information there: in 2009, when the school was built with our NWT Schools Capital Standards and Criteria, when a school has a targeted enrolment of anywhere from 50 to 150, 70 square metres for recreational use is met to with a design in the school. In K’alemi Dene School, there is an 85squaremetre activity room. I do understand the situation, though, in terms of utilization rates. Once a school reaches 85 per cent, then our department works with the district education authority to address the issue. K’alemi Dene School is on the 20year capital planning list, and our staff will be working with the education authority to look at how we can address the utilization rates and the enrolment issue at K’alemi Dene School. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if he would commit to directing his staff at ECE to initiate action to get the K’alemi Dene School gymnasium and classroom expansion into the upcoming capital planning process.
Yes, we’ll get our staff to work with the education authority to see how we can address the space issue down in Ndilo.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister also commit to communicating this to the Ndilo District Education Authority on its standing for a gymnasium in the capital planning process and also the classroom expansion? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, when the school was constructed in 2009, the activity space for recreation and leisure was fit to the school code under the NWT Schools Capital Standards and Criteria policy which was in 2005 developed. We will work with the education authority and do a visit to the school to see how we can address this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
