Tuktoyaktuk (June 02/03) - Tuktoyaktuk's Mangilaluk school will be four teachers and one principal short next school year.

Last week the Beaufort Delta Education Council decided to put five positions -- four teachers and one principal -- on hold indefinetly because there will be no where for the new staff to live, said James Anderson, chair of the Beaufort Delta Education Council.

"It's a critical situation," he said from his Inuvik office.

"We need dedicated units for teachers, not just in Tuktoyaktuk but for all the communities."

He said it "makes no sense" to take the time to screen, interview and hire new staff if there's no where for them to live.

The school was set to hire a new math/science teacher, replace the Grade 9 teacher who is going on leave for a year, and fill two new positions -- a program support teacher and a shop teacher.

The new principal to replace Steve Moseychuk, has already been hired but there is no housing available for him either.

"It's going to have a really negative affect on the education of our students," said Moseychuk. "It's really disappointing. Things were really looking up. We had a brighter future and more to offer (with the new shop). Now the bottom has dropped out of the whole thing."

"If we can't hire teachers we won't be able to deliver the school programs," said Anderson.

"We're hoping a solution will be found prior to the school year."

But Anderson said if the government waits too long, all the best professionals will be "snapped up."

"The community won't take this lying down. This is very disastrous for a community which is trying to upgrade education," said Moseychuk.

He said if the new teachers aren't brought in he'll have to double up some class rooms and cancel curriculum programs like math and science.

The housing problem

Moseychuk said housing is a perpetual problem.

"The government had to do something quick, not in the next four to five years," said Moseychuk.

Teachers often have to share accommodations or rent rooms. Sometimes male and female teachers have to co-habitate because there is no other option, said Moseychuk.

Moseychuk and his wife were lucky when they arrived a year ago. They presently have a one-year lease at the Anglican rectory. However, the church will need the rectory back in the coming year, so the new principal can't take over the Moseychuk's home.

Anderson said to accommodate the new and replacement positions for next year the government would have to find eight new apartments.

He said the government and the hamlet are "beating the bushes" to find those accommodations but things aren't looking good.

Tuktoyaktuk's 2003-2004 school year starts August 19.