Debates of February 10, 2005 (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to direct my question with regard to teaching and graduate placements to the Premier. I feel it was the highest office that made this commitment and it’s up to the highest office to fulfil this commitment on hiring northern graduates.

Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier is since the directive to hiring responsibility for teachers is with the education authorities, what steps has his government taken that these authorities are taking to heart that promise made by this government to hire northern graduates? I want to know what we are doing to assist them to actively recruit our northern graduates into those positions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 355-15(3): Hiring Northern Teaching Graduates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This has been a concern of the department for some time because we do invest in northern people to train as teachers. They graduate and in some cases are not easily able to obtain jobs.

We have always made it known to the boards who the graduates are and how they can be contacted. So that’s there. We do not do the hiring; it’s up to each of the boards. We have a program in place to provide incentives if northerners are hired. As I understand, the Department of Education is now reviewing that program to increase the incentives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 355-15(3): Hiring Northern Teaching Graduates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that extra information by the Premier. I have never heard of the incentive aspect. Mr. Speaker, that still doesn’t speak to the crux of the problem. Have the authorities expressed any further problem with hiring northern graduates? Do they not want them? Do they not know that they are out there? What is this incentive? Why aren’t they hiring them? I need to know from the Premier today, have they communicated problems as to why they are not hiring these northern grads? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I heard two questions there. Mr. Handley, you can answer one or both.

Further Return To Question 355-15(3): Hiring Northern Teaching Graduates

Mr. Speaker, we are not aware of any general issues they have with hiring northern teachers. Certainly they could have difficulty with some individual possibly, but, as a whole, there are no known reasons why any board would be finding it difficult to hire this category of teachers. Mr. Speaker, as I said, it may be individual cases that some don’t do well on interviews and so on, but I don’t think there are any overall reasons. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 355-15(3): Hiring Northern Teaching Graduates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier tell me from his position what kind of hammer do we have in place to tell these educational authorities to hire our northern students, because we have a policy on our books to hire these northern students? It can either be a hammer or it can be a carrot. I need to know because we have northern students who are graduating from our teaching programs who are working at Extra Foods and other places while southern hires are being hired. So what hammer or carrot is he willing to commit to today just to solve this problem? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 355-15(3): Hiring Northern Teaching Graduates

Mr. Speaker, again, it’s up to the boards to do the hiring. We do have a program of incentives. The Department of Education is reviewing those incentives. We would prefer to do it, as the Member calls it, with a carrot rather than with a stick. If we force boards to hire individuals, it is not likely going to be a very happy relationship either for the board or for the individual involved. We don’t want to put people in those kinds of situations. We are sure our people are good teachers, they’ve graduated and we provide incentives that are appropriate to hopefully encourage the boards to achieve what we want which is 100 percent employment in the North for all of our graduates.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 355-15(3): Hiring Northern Teaching Graduates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear today that the Premier will tie that promise to funding all education authorities. I want to hear it clearly that he is tying their funding solely to the fact that they have to do this as a first step. As I see it, we have lost wages by these students who graduated on the promise that they would be hired. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier either withdraw that commitment made by the highest office in this Assembly or promise to fulfil that commitment, one or the other? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 355-15(3): Hiring Northern Teaching Graduates

Mr. Speaker, we have a program that provides boards with incentives. The Department of Education is reviewing that to see whether or not more incentive would make a difference. If we feel it will, then the department will proceed with increased incentives to hire northern teachers. Mr. Speaker, because these are boards and they have the authority to do their own hiring, we can’t force them, but we can provide appropriate incentives to encourage them and hopefully they will follow the spirit of what we want to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.