Debates of February 14, 2005 (day 35)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many teachers who are new to the North get off to a very rough start in our northern communities, because they do not understand our northern culture. This is a highly stressful situation for them, Mr. Speaker, and it’s often very disruptive to the community and the students-at-large. It prevents teachers from developing a relationship with parents, students in the community, and the general wellbeing of everyone, which causes a serious effect on the work that needs to be done. This is a highly negative situation that we need to learn from very quickly and to change.

Mr. Speaker, at present, there is no cross-cultural training program provided to the teachers by our government in the communities. District education authorities and councils take on this task by themselves. This needs to be a government project led by the government in a way that we can ensure that our southern hires, although that sometimes has to happen, get cultural training for our northern people. We need this done.

Mr. Speaker, our government doesn’t provide funding to district education councils directly related to funding to ensure that these teachers get cultural awareness training. Mr. Speaker, later this afternoon, I will have questions for the Minister appropriate with regard to implementing cultural training, not unlike the Government of the Yukon does as well as the Government of Alaska does to ensure that their teachers teach their students appropriately. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause