I thank the Minister for those comments, Mr. Chairman. I would like to make some comments for the record on the issue now, since I have been invited to do so. I will participate in the review process actively as well.
Mr. Chairman, there are many very dedicated teachers. Most of them are very committed to their work. I am concerned that where there are problems -- and every profession has members that have problems -- the present arrangement which gives the association the authority to discipline its members has not been working effectively. I would like to say I believe this role and responsibility may well be incompatible with the other role that it actively pursues which is to act as the advocate for members who are being disciplined by the employer, the government. I really question how the association can discipline its own while it is often actively representing members who have disputes in the work place with the employer. That is a fundamental problem.
As a result, and I stated this in the Assembly today, we have a teacher who we are stuck with. The Iqaluit education authority doesn't want him working in the schools because he does not have the confidence of parents that he is not going to lose his temper and cause further problems in the classroom. The employer is stuck, apparently, because of the double jeopardy rule. Mr. Chairman, this is not the first time I have seen this happen. I am aware of other instances where teachers who have caused problems in the work place requiring them to be removed from the classroom, are nonetheless continuing on the government payroll because there is no effective way of dealing with the problem, at our sizable expense.
We need every teaching person year we can spare. I am getting complaints in my riding about the lack of a number of teaching services in the local schools including French, including the sciences and yet here we have a teacher who is being paid to do busy work because of our antiquated provisions in legislation on discipline and handling these situations. I want to say that whatever has to be put in place should respect the rights of the teachers and should have due process, but whatever is done, we should not continue to be stuck with these surplus people on full salary, indeterminate as far as I can see, because our legislation puts the employer in a box. I must say throughout all of this, the association has been actively representing, defending and even lionizing this particular individual as if he is some kind of a hero.
I know there are issues of student violence in the classroom that are of serious concern to teachers, but when the students are concerned about teacher violence in the classroom, the association seems to take a much different approach. It is a very defensive attitude and not one that I think reflects professional integrity. I just appreciate the opportunity, Mr. Chairman, to put these comments on the record. I know there are strong opinions. I am not going to ask the Minister to respond, at this time, but I want to say that I believe these issues should be addressed. I have gone so far as to discuss the matter with the current president of the NWT Teachers' Association and he also agrees that the legislation particularly relating to teacher discipline is at least outmoded. He may not agree with my recommendations about how it should modernized. But I think there is general agreement that these areas have to be modernized.
I appreciate the opportunity to put those comments on the record. I hope that they can be dealt with because the issue is certainly causing great frustration in my constituency and has in the past. I suspect it is causing the Minister, his officials and divisional board personnel frustrations as well. But, most important, it seems to be wasting public money.
I won't say any more, except there is one additional comment I would like to make. This Legislature has made a resolution about zero tolerance of violence. I think the objective of that resolution was to encourage other organizations and bodies to make similar commitments. I would like to say here, now, that, following what I have said about the zeal with which the NWT Teachers' Association seems to have pursued the interests of teachers against students who commit violence, I would like to challenge the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association to consider adopting principles of zero tolerance of violence for their own members as well.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.