Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd just like to welcome the Minister of ECE back as well. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker -- Mr. Speaker, yesterday --
Member. Member, do not recognize people that were not in the House. People are here, and that's what we need to appreciate. That's what we're working with. Not the people who were not here. Okay, thank you. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you for that, Mr. Speaker. It was very enlightening.
Yesterday, due to the ECE Minister's absence, the infrastructure Minister heard my concerns, instead spoke about whether a planning study to replace the Kaw Tay Whee School and gymnasium, which was supposed to take place in 2019, had occurred. She needed time to find the answer to that question. Is the ECE Minister aware now if that study went through? If so, is she ready to act on its recommendations and get a new school for Dettah? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly I would like to acknowledge the Member's statement from the beginning of the day today. We have 49 schools in the Northwest Territories, and they were large -- our infrastructure across the territory, including arenas, housing, and the rest, was largely built at the same time. So we certainly go through all of our schools and infrastructure and have to make difficult decisions on prioritization and look first and foremost at safety and accessibility, and then from there determine what we need to start with. But I certainly hear the Member that it is a continued concern for his community. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regarding the addition of the new school and gymnasium to K'alemi Dene School in 2021, an assessment for the project was considered but not selected. Can the Minister commit to commitment to getting a new -- five new classroom and a gymnasium and a community hall for the K'alemi Dene School addition onto this year's capital plan if possible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we do is we sit down, we send out a survey to all of our education bodies and speak with them about what their needs are, and at that time education bodies, the DECs and DEAs, are able to identify what it is that they are requiring and where they're at. We also work with the Department of Infrastructure and go through the condition ratings of the schools. And then we also, to be quite honest, look at the priorities of the Assembly. I can tell you that education and having safe spaces for school -- for students across the territory is absolutely a priority of mine, as I know it is many of my colleagues.
In regards to our small capital, just as an example, there were 75 needs identified across the territory for small capital, and we have multiple schools, and leadership from multiple communities identified their schools as wanting to be next up. And so we have to ensure that there is some evidence-based and data that goes along with that when these decisions are made to ensure that we're prioritizing safety of students and accessibility of students to their education facilities at the end of the day. And if I could, Mr. Speaker, I would have a very long list, just like the Members that I would want to do everything at the same time, but I know that that's not a reality in our territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Years of denying or deferring the upgrades to learning and recreation facilities, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation students need their education and without proper facilities, it violates their treaty rights for education. Yesterday, the infrastructure Minister had not heard about these concerns from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, but previous MLAs have brought this up as far back as 2018.
My question is the education Minister clearly stated that the department were aware of these concerns every time they put together the capital plan. Will the Minister work -- sorry, will the Minister commit to working with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation leadership and DEA to start addressing their needs? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those conversations occur on an annual basis when we go through our capital planning process. And I can also confirm for the Member that I have had conversations with the N'dilo DEA chair in regards to infrastructure as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
