Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Madam Premier.

Absolutely, Madam Chair. Thank you. We need to be flexible within this model. The Member is absolutely correct. How many children have said when they were 12, they wanted to be a fire truck driver, and how many fire truck drivers do they end up producing? The whole idea of pathways isn't it to just say, "This is where you're going to be, and you're stuck in that." We're not a communist society; we're a democratic society. It's about helping children where they are, giving them goals, showing them that education is key, especially in the smaller communities where they are struggling to see the future. Then, if they change their mind, then we need to be there to support them to do that, because the stats show that children nowadays will change their careers, I believe, between seven and nine times in their careers. It's not the luxury of when I was young, when you could get a job, and you could keep that job forever. Those days are gone. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Next on my list, I have the Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to addressing social passing that we have in our communities, that's a big concern for myself. I think that we should be doing more, assisting the local DEAs and helping them to implement. Getting kids to school is the big one. They're trying to find ways to motivate our youth to get to the school. Speaking with the principal last week in Tuktoyaktuk, that's what he is working towards. I'm trying to give him a hand, but our local DEAs are really suffering and really need assistance. Is there any plan in regard to addressing the concerns under social passing to assist local DEAs? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely. The last bullet on "How We Will Do It" says we're going to implement new programming to assist schools and parents when making decisions about student placement, promotion to the next grade, or retention. When we say assisting schools and parents, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment does not operate physically every single school. That's why we have DEAs. They are part of the picture. We see them as our partners. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. More questions, Member for Nunakput?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to that, Madam Chair, it's saying 2021-2022 with that programming coming forward. Is there any way that we are going to be getting into the schools earlier or working with the local DEAs and the Minister's office to make something happen with regard to the social passing part and getting kids to school, maybe some extra money somewhere, if we could find it, just like anything else? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. When it says the fall 2021-2022, the school year, it will take a little bit of time. We have to develop the program. There will be some feedback. They will be working with the education boards, districts, et cetera. It's not going to be that we're only going to start it either in 2021 or 2022; it'll be an ongoing process. By that time, what we're looking at is, by at least fall 2022, we will have the program up and running, and as it says in here, it will be monitored, and progress will be reported. The program under this timeline says it will be implemented by then. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Any further questions, Member for Nunakput?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to the distance learning, in regard to making sure that we have access and Internet service into each of the communities, in the smaller communities. There's a big asset making sure that kids are able to get online for the online courses, because not all of our schools have grades K to 12. Just making sure that kids who are getting an opportunity to try to do what they want, with the parents and education, that's so important. If you don't have your education, you don't have nothing. We always say the kids are our future, and we're making sure that we are able to help them to get success in school. That would be a real good thing, especially with distance learning, giving them opportunities. Thank you, Madam Chair. More of a comment. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has been working on implementing distance learning every single year to bring more and more schools. I believe there are five new schools on the plate coming up. There will be five more schools, five more communities, actually accessing distance learning, and the goal of the government is actually to make sure that every small community has this option if they don't have other options for schools. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In the "Ensure distance learning opportunities are available," to have all the schools by 2022-2023 school year, how many schools do we have currently connected? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a number in my head, but I'm not 100 percent sure. I will ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you. In the current school year, there are 15 schools or 15 communities, I guess, that are part of the Northern Distance Learning program, and five more will be added for the 2020-2021 school year. Exactly which schools is still being determined.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In this part here, I know, when the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation started this pilot, I mean it started from teleconferencing on a phone, moved into video conferencing, and it is now what it is today. When the government decided to fund this, I remember, as the chair of BDIC, I sat there, and I sat with a bunch of DMs who were in a room, and I specifically said, so I'm going to say it here: I do not want the teachers to be teaching these courses from Yellowknife, because my experience with this program is that a lot of the teachers in the Beaufort-Delta, or even if it was in the South Slave or Hay River, a lot of those teachers come from the small communities before they come to the regional, because it's always, like, we'll get to Aklavik, or we'll get to Tuktoyaktuk, and then, in a year or two, there will be movement or a mat leave, then we'll get into Inuvik. They spend a lot of time in the communities supporting a lot of these kids. They know a lot of these kids, and they understand what they have.

I know that was one of the selling things, when we sold it to the DMs, the need to continue to teach it out of Inuvik because they have the experience. I just want to make sure that, by expanding this, that we're making sure that the instructors -- because if we have instructors there, you just have to have the support in the communities for those students. I just want to make sure that I can get that commitment here. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. They used to do it for free, and now we're paying for it? Is that what I heard? That was just a plug. The model, I believe, is working in Inuvik. It's very successful. I don't know why we would change it, but I will ask the Minister of Education to make the commitment that it would stay in a program that's working. Thank you, Madam Chair.