In that case, maybe I could make a couple of comments. I think the matter at hand is probably the result of a greater misunderstanding about the issues and the positions that have been presented rather than, I believe, a policy that could accommodate the proposals that have been made by the teachers. I do want to say that from the information that I have received, there is great confusion as to who is actually responsible for the final decision, because I believe that in November a submission was made to the Beaufort/Delta board and they approved the idea of the in-service training. Maybe I am confused about that, but that is the information that was given to us. It was then subsequently brought to the attention of the community, to the CEC, and they then rejected the position. Now, maybe it is a misunderstanding on my part and it needs clarification, but I think that has been one of the problems that seems to be the basis for confusion.
Now, I am not going to try to make any arguments in support of the proposals that have been made, but I do think that one aspect that requires our serious consideration, or reconsideration on this government's part, is to really indicate who has the final decision- making authority in the region. Is it the CEC or is it the Beaufort/Delta Educational Board? It has to be clear, because we cannot continue to have a situation where the community CEC overrules a decision of the overall board, because the board itself has -- for instance, in the case of Inuvik, the overall board has jurisdiction with regard to the high school. It is a collective decision-making process because all communities in the region are affected by that particular high school, and so I am concerned that we should have a situation where, when people are brought to a meeting, that they do not have the kind of clout they think they have, especially if another board, an independent board, a community board, begins to overrule decisions that they agreed to.
I am not going to challenge the issues you have raised or brought to my attention, but I do want to say to you that it is important to resolve this particular matter. I raise that point with you and ask you if you could have your officials meet to resolve this, because it is necessary so that there is a clear indication in future about who really has jurisdiction.
On the matter of in-service training, whether or not the teachers are going to have the same kind of access to in-service training that most other school boards have across the North, I think that what you will find is that they are not going to be unreasonable if there is a solution that they are part of. I think that if I could ask you and your department officials to try to work that resolution out -- because I do not think that at this particular juncture people have the kind of confidence they should have in the regional director, the board and the executive director, and maybe there is a lot of confusion about that but that is the reality and until you resolve that I do not think you are going to have any teaching community in Inuvik that is going to be satisfied or happy with the relationship they presently have with the executive director of the board of education. I think you have to resolve that as much as you have to resolve the matter of in-service training.