Caitlin Cleveland

Mr. Speaker, our schools don't only provide traditional learning opportunities like reading and writing. Schools are where children learn to interact, and where many children depend on for food and emotional support. COVID-19 has shown us that education of our northern youth is fragile and that access to education is not equitable. When I talk about equitable access, I am talking about access to the physical resources like hardware, software, Internet, and phones needed to access and communicate with schools. However, I am also talking about the capacity of the child's home to support learning...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just one final question, I promise. The Minister mentioned that there would be now be five additional communities that this would be expanded to. What is the total number of communities that this is present in? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. My last question is just in regard to the very last line item for Alcoholics Anonymous and Wellbriety. I just want to confirm that that is program funding that is offered in all communities and not just Yellowknife.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm just wondering if the Minister can please expand on the retention challenge as part of that piece. Thank you.

I am going to ask for some more money anyway. We live in a very small territory, and I have had the privilege of knowing many teachers who have also shared with me the PowerPoint presentation that they received from the Chief Public Health Officer. I have seen what the expectation is for kids going back to school this fall, and as a parent and as a resident of the Northwest Territories, I definitely have my own concerns. We know just from what we've heard around Canada, through COVID, that one of the expectations is going to be limited extra-curricular for students in their classrooms, and...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Education, and I quickly realized today, while sitting here, that the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes and I are on the same page. I can save the Minister a little bit of time today and let him know that there will be increased costs to schools for PPE. The expectation is for schools to have physical barriers, for them to be able to have face masks, for them to have increased cleaning in the schools, a potential for increased staffing needs if a teacher has a runny nose, which, if anybody here knows kids, runny noses in...

Thank you for letting me double dip, Madam Chair. I'm wondering if the Minister can please provide just an outline of what recommendations they plan to be able to implement from the healthy families program for the $600,000? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. One of my questions was asked so I'm just going to keep moving down the line item to the $2.6 million for mental health and wellness counselling. I would just like confirmation if that is the child and youth care counsellors. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I agree with the Minister that any surplus should be spent to the best of a school board's ability on education. It must be difficult for school boards to plan when it's on a case-by-case basis. I guess: how does ECE do its best to ensure that that money is being distributed equitably throughout schools in the Northwest Territories that may not be a GNWT asset? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Would this be the appropriate place to ask specifically about things contained under the early childhood and schools services section?