Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

CORAL HARBOUR (May 26/99) - There was never any threat of forced transfers or premature job loss at Sakku school in Coral Harbour in an effort to make room for local Northern Teachers Education Program (NTEP) graduates, claims Amauya Netser, chairperson of the Coral Harbour District Education Authority and KDEC member.

Netser says he was upset over a decision made by the DEA this past December and expressed his concerns to Education Minister James Arvaluk while in Iqaluit attending NTEP graduation ceremonies, but the problem has since been resolved.

"There were two NTEP graduates who almost didn't have a job, but we've found a way to squeeze them in and next year there will be 10 NTEP graduates on staff in Sakku," says Netser. "We never intended to lay-off anybody. We found out the Sakku principal may be leaving for Baker Lake and that gave us enough room for all the NTEP graduates.

"I never told anybody to move," he said. "I spoke to officials while I was in Iqaluit about the problem here and, I guess, they were thinking about moving things around, but I'm not aware of anyone being told to leave and if they were, it didn't come from me."

December's decision to give two term-position teachers full-time status caused the Coral controversy and Netser says the decision was a bad one because the previous DEA knew it was going to have NTEP graduates this spring.

He said once school staff found out he was unhappy with the decision, confrontations did erupt during DEA meetings.

"During a couple of past DEA board meetings we ran into a problem and had a little bit of a racket over these term positions," he said. "Tempers were a little short and emotions were high at those meetings because some people were scared they might not have a job, but under the circumstances, that's understandable.

"But, it's all over now and we're going to have room for all the NTEP grads. We just have to find a little bit more money to pay the salaries for the new teachers."

Arvaluk says there was never any inquiry launched into staffing at the Sakku school, nor were there any directives from his department to force teachers there to transfer.

"Amauya (Netser) requested a meeting with me in Iqaluit because I'm his MLA and I listened to his concerns. But, as a minister, I couldn't interfere or do anything about transfers because we still have the regional boards. Under the Education Act, they're directly responsible for their zones. It's still their jurisdiction.

"Our policy is to train NTEP students and try to place them as much as possible, and it's just common sense to try and place them in their own communities unless they make a request for a different community.

"The local chairman wanted to see NTEP graduates from Coral Harbour on staff at Sakku school, but, of course, there's never any guarantees."