Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the need for a new school over in Trout Lake. I know that the needs are mainly in our small and remote communities; however, we’ve been spending lots of our capital dollars over the last four years building super schools and super bridges, and I believe it should be time for the priority of this government to start concentrating on the schools in our small and remote communities.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Education -- he’s heard the needs of Trout Lake, he’s heard me raise it in the Assembly over the past years -- what steps has he taken lately to ensure that the needs of Trout Lake and planning for a new school will begin. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we’ve heard about this particular case in Trout Lake, the school, whether it be the capacity, the space itself. Due to that fact, we have identified funding to provide technical upgrades as identified in the VFA Canada reporting and program issues, in an attempt to provide better teaching space. Those are the areas that we are focusing on right now, Mr. Speaker, and we are listening to the Member and also the community. We will be visiting the community in due time. Mahsi.
I think the Minister agrees with me that the best teaching space would be a new school. That’s what the community wants; that’s what I want. I’ve got support from the Members of the Assembly on this side of the House. I’d like to know what stage is his department looking at it in this business planning cycle of 2011 for 2012-2013. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, there are processes that we need to follow. As I stated, we have identified funds for technical upgrades and then having somebody, a consultant or departmental staff, going to the community to identify what’s needed and what’s the capacity. Right now, Mr. Speaker, the capacity is 48 percent utilized in the community. We have to look at that as well. Is it a space issue? Is it a building issue? The students, how many students are there? There are 16 students right now, Mr. Speaker. We’re talking about those specific matters and we need to highlight and analyze all those key areas before we say, well, there’s going to be a new school built next year. We need to find the funding, as well. The capital process will be in place and we will be discussing this particular subject along with others, as well.
I think that the priority of this government is that each community should have stand-alone schools, each community should have stand-alone recreation centres, and we should move towards, of course, nurses and policing. However, I’d like to know, is it the priority of the Department of Education to start looking at stand-alone schools in each of our small and remote communities? Mahsi cho.
Mr. Speaker, our priority is to deliver programs to each and every community to serve those students, to serve the community members. When we talk about infrastructure in communities, we have to work in partnership with the communities because there is limited access to infrastructure in the communities, as well. We have to work with those isolated communities, with what they have on hand and work with them. If there needs to be a new building that needs to come up, we need to work with the community government, the school boards and our department, the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, It’s not just one piece of infrastructure. We’re talking about various infrastructure in the community that we need to work with. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to reiterate one more time that Trout Lake does not have a stand-alone school. It had burned down many, many years ago. Our government is on the record as saying that it will be replaced. Right now it’s being located in the community hall. That is just not acceptable. Each of our communities, our constituents, our people of the Nahendeh and the Northwest Territories deserve to have their own school. I’d like the Minister to start looking at that, start working towards that in the capital planning process this summer. I’d like to get a commitment of that nature. Mahsi cho.
Mr. Speaker, I did commit to the Member that we will be going to the school. I believe we’re working on a date with the Member to go into the community and also look at the particular school and the complex it is under. Working towards the next capital planning project, I will work with the Member and also the Members at large that this along with other projects, what are the priorities? What should come to us first? Those are the discussions that we need to have, as we do every year with the capital projects process. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
