Mr. Chairman, this business of in-service is very often mixed up with professional development because what happens is sometimes the Minister may issue some directive or other to get something done. It happens in Yellowknife quite a bit, where the board wants something done and the kids have to go home a bit early one day. They have a meeting, and they have people explain exactly what has to be done with registers or particular programs. So it is something that is recognized as something different from professional development. This seems to me to be an attempt to solve a problem, and I would like to ask the Minister, why is it that it has been turned down? They have tried to find a solution to this by hiring substitute teachers and using staff, and so on. Does the Minister have any idea why the proposal is being turned down by the staff?

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

My understanding is that the request for two and a half days by teachers has been turned down by the education council for the reasons that the education council does not see any reason why 190 days should be reduced. They would like the kids to be in the classroom for the total of 190 days. I believe that is the main reason that the school education council does not want to see additional days off school for the kids. They are saying that the 190 school days should not be diminished by additional in-service days. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will try the question again in a different way. It is my understanding that the staff at SAMS have rejected the proposal of the regional board,

and they have proposed some solutions for in-service which were developed by their director. The director for that board has told the board how they can solve the problem by, in fact, hiring substitute teachers and using some of the staff. My question is, why is it not acceptable to the teachers there, who could still have their in-service? It is still possible to have it. The solution proposed is that they spend four hundred and odd dollars to hire some substitute teachers and use some staff. What is the reason that the teaching staff is deciding not to accept that proposal? That is my understanding of what is going on there.

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

My information and my understanding of what is going on might be a little different from that of the Member for Yellowknife Centre. My understanding is that it is teaching staff who are requesting two and a half days; the teachers are asking for two and a half in-service training days. It is the educational council of Inuvik who is turning down the request from the teaching staff, for the reason that they do not want to see kids not attending school for an additional two and a half days. They tell me that is the main reason as to why they are turning it down. It is not the staff; it is the education council.

Thank you. Mr. Lewis.

I will try again. Where is the idea coming from that this can be solved by spending $400? It is in a solution to spend $400 to get some substitute teachers to do the teaching, and keep the kids in school so that they can get their 190 days. Where is this idea coming from that it can be solved so that nobody loses? The teachers can get their few hours off, the kids will be taught by the subs, and this is the solution. Who is proposing that solution and who is turning it down?

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

I am sorry, Mr. Chairman, I did not quite get his question before. The proposal is coming from the divisional board, and it is being put to teachers. I have not heard formally, to this date, whether the teachers will accept the proposal that is produced by the divisional board. I believe that it was late Friday that this proposal was put to them, and I have not heard whether they are turning it down or not. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The SAMS staff unanimously rejected the proposal of the Beaufort board to allow them to have their time off, but their solution is to spend this $400 so the kids will still get taught. What I want to know, and maybe the Minister could undertake to find it out, is why it is that the staff have turned it down, because they have solved their problem. They can get their time off and the kids would still get taught, and it would only cost $400, so why are the teachers turning it down? That is my simple question, and from what the Minister has told me, he did not know this had happened on Friday -- that it had been rejected. Maybe we could get the answer to that.

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I will get the answer for the Member and for the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you. Further general comments. Mr. Koe.

Further to that point that has just been discussed, the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association issued a press release dated February 21, that was Friday afternoon I believe, stating that the Sir Alexander Mackenzie School staff -- I will quote the press release: "The Sir Alexander Mackenzie School staff unanimously rejects the position of the Beaufort/Delta Divisional Board of Education regarding the proposed format for in-service training that is based upon a plan presented by the director of Education." That is the first paragraph of that press release, and it goes on. So, this was released, and I am surprised the Minister has not received a copy of it.

Do you want to respond to that, Mr. Minister? General comments. Are there any further general comments? Does this committee agree that Ministers' Statement 10-12(2) is concluded? Mr. Koe.

Just one more comment, I guess. I am not sure at this stage, with the latest information that is available, what the department is going to be doing. What is the Minister going to be doing to try to resolve this dispute?

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My staff will be meeting tomorrow morning at breakfast time with the NWTTA, which the Member just read there as part of their press release, in an attempt to resolve this issue. Plus, if it is not resolved, I have received a letter from the Member inviting me to go up to Inuvik. I will look at his invitation to see what we could do. I would like to see this problem resolved as soon as I can. I will wait to see what this meeting tomorrow of my officials and NWTTA produces, and I will make my decision whether I should go up to Inuvik or not on the invitation of the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further general comments on the Ministers' Statement 10-12(2), Education Dispute? Does this committee agree that the Ministers' Statement 10-12(2), Education Dispute, is concluded?

Agreed.

---Agreed.

Thank you. I have Tabled Document 9-12(2), Strength at Two Levels; Tabled Document 10-12(2), Reshaping Northern Government; Tabled Document 12-12(2), Plebiscite Direction; and Bill 14, Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1992-93; what does this committee wish to deal with now? Give me direction. Bill 14, Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1992-93. I have four items we can deal with this afternoon. Give me a direction. Member for Thebacha.