Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple comments in this section here. I’m glad to see that we’re putting some funding into some of the smaller communities and the schools that they have. But I know in some of the past work that I’ve done when

I’ve gone and done work in the schools – presentations, workshops, those kinds of things

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there’s always areas of concern, renovations that needed to be made. In some cases there were schools that had mouse problems and rodent problems. I just want to make a comment that I think there should be an overhaul in the overview of all our schools, especially in the small communities, that that is a safe working environment for our teachers but also a safe place to get an education for our students. I think that’s a project that needs to be done by the department. As I said, mainly in the small schools is where I saw it, so I think that’s something that needs to be addressed.

This government has also taken a really good stance in terms of adult education, and this area deals with community learning centres. I’m not sure what our inventory… I think we have 23 community learning centres; I’m not too sure. But if that’s the case, there are some communities that don’t have a learning centre, and whether or not that will be put into the books because we do have a lot of adults out there who do need that upgrading. Even in some of our learning centres that are in communities now, they also need some upgrading. I know the Aurora College is looking into programs similar to what the Beaufort-Delta Education Authority has in terms of e-learning and putting that infrastructure in place. So students who don’t want to go to Yellowknife or Fort Smith or Inuvik can get some type of education through an e-learning program through their community learning centre. I think that needs to be addressed moving forward.

As mentioned earlier with the early child care centres, if you look into the feasibility study that was tabled earlier this summer, one cost of child care centres was mentioned that a capital expense of eight to 15 million dollars would be required. However, they could be housed in surplus space in elementary schools. So I think that if we are looking at building any type of new schools, that’s something that we take into consideration, or any existing schools now, that we identify surplus space to look at developing some of these child care centres. The economic benefits that come from universal daycare that was said in this study, there are some really great benefits and I think that needs to be addressed. It would be great if it could be addressed before this government finishes this term.

The one other big thing that I just wanted to bring to your attention was the renovations, once again, at East Three Elementary with the dental facility. I’m not sure if there’s an update on that and if there was any kind of funding dollars to get that room up to code, up to standard so that the dentist can start practicing there.

I haven’t had an update on that in a while. So, if we could get an update and whether that’s going to be

somet

hing we’re going to be addressing in the

future. As the Minister knows, questions in the House with the dental care, issues that we have throughout the North, that’s probably one of the contributing factors as well. Thank you.