by Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 29/97) - The first class of aboriginal education teachers will be graduating this spring in Yellowknife, hopeful to find jobs in city schools.

But with no plans set to renew the program, there's little hope that it will meet the GNWT's goal to increase the number of aboriginal teachers in the city to 20 per cent.

"It's not going to happen unless the program is run again," said Mattie McNeill, senior instructor with the Aurora College aboriginal teacher education program.

The program was started three years ago after the Yellowknives Dene Band applied for funding from the territorial government.

Patti Jocko, Yellowknives Dene band administrator, said that there are no plans for the band council to renew the program. "There's no new proposal gone in to run it again," she said.

If the GNWT quota is to be met by the year 2000, the aboriginal teachers will have to come from other areas of the south, she added.

To qualify for the Yellowknives Dene Band teacher education program in 1994, each applicant had to be a member of the Yellowknives Dene Band or an NWT aboriginal person living in the Yellowknife area.

The three-year program involves a year of upgrading that must be completed before the second two years.

Each graduate has the option to continue their studies at the University of Saskatchewan where their credits are recognized as the first two years of a Bachelor of Education program.

"We already have a couple of students who have indicated that they are intending to go on and get their degrees," said McNeill.

The program has been a success, she added.

In previous years, programs have run in Rae Edzo Wha Ti, the Beaufort Delta and South Slave regions, and Yellowknife.

Funding is generally given to the divisional educational councils to run the programs.