Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sept 03/01) - For the next two years, Lou Budgell will be out of the classroom. His job as president of the 607-member Federation of Nunavut Teachers (FNT) will keep him busy with meetings, reports and contract talks.

Behind his new desk and buried in paperwork, Federation of Nunavut Teachers president Lou Budgell is out of the classroom for the first time in 30 years. - Kirsten Murphy/NNSL photo

His absence in the classroom, though, will be missed by students who know Budgell as a dedicated, enthusiastic educator.

News/North: What's your idea of the perfect holiday?

Lou Budgell: No phones, no T.V., water and sunshine.

N/N: Three things you'd take if stranded on a desert island?

LB: Drinking water, food and a good book. I love to read.

N/N: You take over where Donna Stephania leaves off as FNT president. What are you looking forward to?

LB: Teacher welfare.

N/N: Meaning?

LB: Working conditions, making sure the contract is followed.

N/N: How does Nunavut fare?

LB: The number of teachers to the number of grievances are very slim. I'd say one per cent.

N/N: What would you do with a magic wand in Iqaluit?

LB: Not just Iqaluit, but in all of Nunavut I'd like to see adequate housing. So children coming to school are coming from houses where they have their own rooms and their own spaces.

N/N: How does that impact classroom learning?

LB: When a child is in an overcrowded environment and coming to school tired, they can't focus and that's a problem.

N/N: What are you looking forward to during your two-year term?

LB: Finding solutions when teachers call up with various needs.

N/N: Like housing?

LB: Housing is a concern right across Nunavut, for government workers and non-government workers. But housing is not a contract issue.

N/N: Isn't that a double-edge sword?

LB: Sure. To attract teachers requires housing and without housing you cannot attract teachers. However, it hasn't been a big problem this year. It looks like most positions are filled. To date, I haven't had any calls about people not getting housing.

N/N: Any reservations about the job?

LB: I'm sure I'll miss the classroom, miss the students and the daily contact with colleagues. But I'm looking forward to the challenges this new job brings.

N/N: When is the next collective agreement for teachers up for renewal?

LB: July 1, 2002. We expect to be negotiating.

N/N: Is it a FNT responsibility to help get more Inuit teachers?

LB: That's more of a Department of Education responsibility. However, in our collective agreement, we have the professional improvement

fund.

We also grant paid education leave for up to one year. We granted seven such leaves this year.

N/N: How much is in the professional improvement fund for educational leave?

LB: $400,000

N/N: How long have you been a teacher?

LB: Thirty-one years. I started in a place called Botwood, Newfoundland.

N/N: That's where you're from?

LB: I'm from Windsor, Newfoundland.

N/N: Were you a good student?

LB: Oh sure. Did my homework, listened well. My dad insisted we went to school to be educated; it wasn't a place where you got into trouble. Teachers were respected. Today that same structure is not there.

N/N: Where have you worked?

LB: I spent 19.6 years in Newfoundland. Then I went to Rankin Inlet in 1990. I came to Iqaluit in 1998. I've been teaching (social studies) at Inuksuk high school ever since.

N/N: School years vary throughout Nunavut. Is that something you've been tasked with?

LB: No, DEAs (District Education Authorities) are given control of school years under the Education Act.

N/N: Teacher recruitment is a territorial government responsibility. Any thoughts on the subject?

LB: There's a teacher shortage across Canada. As far as I can tell from the regional offices right now, there are no vacancies in Nunavut. However, it's becoming more difficult to recruit. The number of applicants is way down.

N/N: Fierce competition?

LB: We've been predicting a teacher shortage for years.

We have a high turnover of teachers. I'm not sure of the percentage.

As the shortages become more acute in the South, it will be more difficult to recruit in the North.

N/N: How do you explain the shortage?

LB: The number of people going into education versus the number of teachers retiring doesn't match.

There's also new teachers choosing other professions because of the stress.

N/N: Can you elaborate?

LB: Classroom sizes, students with special needs, lack of preparation time

N/N: Is there any other job you considered doing?

LB: The RCMP. I was accepted in 1972. I turned it down because I'd just tied the knot and my first child was on the way.

N/N: This is your fourth year in Iqaluit. What keeps you here?

LB: The pace of life. I love the scenery and so many wonderful people. This is home to me now.

N/N: What do you do for fun?

LB: I have two small children who are involved in hockey, speedskating and gymnastics. We spend a lot of time in arenas (laughs).

N/N: How good is Nunavut's education system?

LB: We have a very good education system, but parents have to realize their children have to go to school, everyday, on time. They have to provide a safe, comfortable place for them to study or else students will have a difficult time being successful in schools.

N/N: What are teachers seeing?

LB: Everyday, teachers see students having difficulty concentrating in class based on the fact students have not gotten a good sleep or haven't had a good, healthy meal.

N/N: After your two years is up as FNT president, you can seek re-election or return to Inuksuk. Any plans?

LB: It's way too soon to say.