Teacher crisis hits Holman

Community must fill seven vacancies but does not have enough housing

Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Holman (May 21/01) - Housing for teachers is becoming a crisis in Beaufort-Delta communities.

Holman lost seven of its nine teachers; Paulatuk and Sachs Harbour must also find replacements for teachers who went south because of the housing situation, said Mel Pretty, vice-chair of the Beaufort-Delta Education Council.

Background Rent for teacher's housing is about $1,500 per month and in Holman it is subsidized so that teacher's pay about $700 to $800 per month. The average wage for teacher's in Holman is about $60,000 per year

"There is very much of a problem because we don't have housing for teachers," Mel Pretty said. "Nobody ever does anything about it and now it is becoming a crisis."

Housing is usually the first thing prospective teachers ask about, said James Anderson, director of Education for Beaufort-Delta.

"You can't recruit teachers if you don't offer housing," Anderson said.

Adding to the teacher shortage is the rule that kindergarten and Grade 1 teachers must now be certified.

In the past, local residents could fill those positions with a letter of authority from the minister, even if they did not have an education degree.

Holman has about 125 to 150 students and if all seven positions are not filled by September the course opportunities offered by a new school building will not be met.

The new school in Holman has an industrial arts course capabilities, for example, and will offer Grades 11 and 12. But there are only three housing units, which are owned by the hamlet, are available for teachers.

"Even if we hire all couples we will still be short," Pretty said. "We don't like to be political but we are getting to the point where we have to."

Pretty said the Government of the Northwest Territories pulled out of housing nearly 10 years ago and neither the education councils nor the hamlet can afford to fill the void.

The hamlet can't hold a mortgage under the regulations of municipal affairs, said Pretty, who is also a hamlet councillor.

The education councils received an increase in funding "but that just went to teachers' salaries," Pretty explained.

The problem reaches to other hamlets in the delta but Paulatuk recently found a solution.

Like Holman, Paulatuk's mayor Keith Dodge approached Premier Stephen Kakfwi and MLA Vince Steen earlier this month when the two MLAs toured Nanukput communities.

Dodge said he also met recently with Roger Allen, the minister responsible for housing and municipal affairs.

"They will be building two new units for teachers this year," Dodge said. "That is good news for the community and especially good news for the kids because we were worried we would not be able to get any teachers here."

Paulatuk needed three teachers and housing will be built as soon as supplies are shipped on the barge in August.

Anderson said the council is working with the NWT Housing Corp. to find solutions.

"They're committed to helping us out here," he said.