Daniel T'seleie
Northern News Services

Cape Dorset (June 27/05) - Upwards of one-quarter of Inuit teachers in Nunavut may be retiring in the next five years.

Some communities will be hit hard by the vacancies, and are concerned there will not be trained replacements.

"We're going to be having a teacher shortage in the next several years," said Tanya Saxby, an adult educator in Cape Dorset.

The town wants Nunavut Arctic College's Nunavut Teacher Education Program (NTEP) to operate in Cape Dorset and train replacements.

Many of the hamlet's teachers are, "looking retirement in the face," Saxby said.

"It's like that across Nunavut," said NTEP principal Ooloota Maatiusi. "Inuit teachers who have been teaching for, like, 25 or 30 years are starting to retire."

Between 10 and 25 per cent of the territory's Inuit teachers are expected to retire in the next five years, said Minister of Education Ed Picco. Thirty-eight per cent of Nunavut teachers are Inuit, according to Picco.

Despite the wave of retirement, Nunavut will see an increase in Inuit teachers, based on current projections, Picco said.

But Saxby isn't confident that will be the case in Cape Dorset.

"It is estimated that in the next several years all of the qualified Inuktitut elementary school teachers (in Cape Dorset) will be retiring," Saxby wrote in a letter to NTEP.

She goes on to say seven positions will be left vacant, and most of kindergarten through Grade 7 is taught in Inuktitut.

Need identified

The need for an NTEP in Cape Dorset was identified in a community needs assessment - completed by the Community Learning Centre, community organization, businesses, government groups, and individuals - in May.

NTEP is a five-year program that uses courses from McGill University. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Education degree.

Cape Dorset applied for NTEP after the Jan, 31 deadline, Maatiusi said.

There are at least 15 Cape Dorset residents interested in the program, Saxby said. Most do not want to spend five years in Iqaluit, where NTEP is offered every year.

This is a common sentiment, Maatiusi said.

"Teachers prefer to take courses in their own communities," Maatiusi said. "They don't want to leave their families."

There is also limited housing in Iqaluit, especially for students with families, Maatiusi said.

NTEP operates in four other communities: Arviat, Iglulik, and Arctic Bay. A program will begin in Kugaaruk in the fall.

Students must apply in the first year and stick with it for the full five.

A hamlet's district education authority must request the program, and guarantee a classroom and housing for one permanent instructor.

The program can accommodate 20 people in communities. A minimum of 12 students is required before NTEP will come to a community.

Demand for NTEP in communities is growing, Maatiusi said. She would like to see it offered outside Iqaluit in more than four communities at a time.

"It would be great. This is my wish," Maatiusi said.

This decision is in the hands of the Department of Education, Maatiusi said.

The department is reviewing the program with Nunavut Arctic College and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. It is too early to speculate, but the results of this review may affect potential expansion of the program in the future, Picco said.

This is the first review of NTEP since it was expanded to other communities in 1999.

Running five programs at one time is enough, Picco said. Expanding to more communities could "dilute" the program, he said.

Approximately $2.4 million is the yearly budget for NTEP, Picco said. The spending is "well worth it," he said.

"When you graduate from NTEP, you're guaranteed a job," Picco said.