Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Jun 18/99) - Fort Simpson Mayor Norm Prevost made a presentation to the District Education Authority (DEA) last Tuesday, three months after making some inflammatory remarks about the state of the education system.

Prevost acknowledged that a significant amount of time had passed since speaking out on the issue at a Nahendeh constituency meeting, "but I've been quite busy," he said.

He explained that he had appealed to MLA Jim Antoine for a second chance at the Minister's Forum on Education, or something similar. The first one was attended mostly by teachers, he noted. While acknowledging that many teachers are also parents, he said there were a number of other parents who told him afterwards that they were uncomfortable making comments at such a forum. He took the opportunity at the constituency meeting to express those sentiments and address a few other education issues.

"I speak on behalf of the community when I speak. I don't have to have the authorization of council or anyone else," he said of his frank remarks made in March.

As mayor, Prevost then hired a consultant from School Works Inc. in Edmonton -- for approximately $500, he said -- to review a 1995 Dehcho Divisional Board report to find out what recommendations are most critical to have implemented.

"I take this quite seriously. I'm not shooting from the hip," he said.

Among the recommendations, he said, was the need for more professional development by Fort Simpson's teachers. There was also a recurring theme to teach students to respect other people's property, he said, referring generally to incidents of vandalism at Thomas Simpson school. He acknowledged that it's difficult to keep the students in line year-round, but he added that the need for respect also applied to teachers. Over the past school year, Prevost said he saw a teacher break a yard stick over a desk. He said he considers such actions child abuse.

"I don't think that sort of behaviour is appropriate," he said.

Another major concern is that statistics show 42 per cent of Aboriginal students in the NWT never complete Grade 9, he said.

"I think that's pretty sad," he said, adding that one of the issues at the Meet the North conference in Edmonton was the lack of skills to meet the demands of the workforce.

Prevost said he wants to see the 24 recommendations in the report addressed, but he also recognized that much of the report commended the efforts of school staff.

"It's not all negative things," he said. "Things are being operated and run the way they should other than the issues in the report."

He also took the opportunity to apologize if he mixed up the DEA and the DEC when he made his comments at the constituency meeting in March.

"What I don't have is an organizational chart to see who's the dog and who's the tail," he explained.

As well, he noted that none of his comments were directed at any particular staff members.

"I think they're doing an excellent job," he said.

When the DEA opened the floor to questions or comments from its members, there were few. DEA chair Betty Hardisty remarked that the Education Authority rarely has parents with complaints attending its meetings. She asked Prevost if he refers anyone to them.

He replied that he does tell concerned parents that there are DEA meetings every second week, but some of them aren't comfortable airing their complaints there, he said.

"I don't know why people don't want to talk if they have concerns about their child," he said. "You should be able to confront anybody."