Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of the Teacher Education Program for the Rae-Edzo area, yes, we are encouraged by the results of what has come out of the T.E.P. program, including C.T.E.P. We are currently reviewing it now as to the successes, or what we can improve. Was the quality good enough to call these teachers? Was there any complaints in terms of quality standards, since these C.T.E.P. students have been teaching, and in what area?
We are doing the review now. Our target is to get the report done, and our own recommendation as to where we will go from there is by December of this year.
We are not slowing down on funding those C.T.E.P. programs. We are not stopping anything. Anything that is going on, will go on. We are not going to say let us stop this for now, until we find out. We are not doing that. We are continuing the process, and reviewing at the same time.
In the area of the Northern Leaders' Program, I am having a very hard time at the exact directive that was given. Was it for land claims, or is it for those who needed extra financial assistance beyond student loans or grants, to become potential leaders? I did not find that anywhere. What it does to me, is to eliminate, or at least minimize, the potential hardship for these students, if they were on salary they would feel more comfortable. Under the present Student Financial Assistance Programs, the options are still completely open. They can still take post-secondary education under student financial assistance, even if they are potential leaders under the land claims, or under the economic development, or under the social programs, or aboriginal experts. The university courses which we fund the students under the student financial assistance, are still completely available.
The only difference is that the leadership program is much more expensive on a per capita basis, whereas, we could put more post-secondary students under student financial assistance.