Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have concerns with the money that has lapsed in the area of training for the public service. The area I have concerns with is the teachers in our communities. Many aboriginal and northern teachers have gone through the TEP program, where they have taught in our classrooms for several years and are still making a career of it.
Now, the government demands that these teachers have to go and get their bachelor's degree in education, or even their masters, for them to be able to continue their pursuit of teaching in our classrooms. Yet when it comes to allowing the teachers to take education leave and giving them the opportunity to upgrade by going to university in southern Canada to get this degree, there seems to be a lack of resources. Also, there is a lack of dollars to allow these teachers to continue their education and advance themselves so they can obtain the tools to make them more ready to deal with the changing technology and programs we have in the North.
I have had concerns raised by constituents in Aklavik and Fort McPherson where teachers have asked for education leave and been turned down on the argument that there is not enough money in the system to allow them to do it. They are getting frustrated, feeling they are challenged with teaching in the classroom without assistance for the required additional education. They will not meet the requirement of this government which is that teachers have to have either a bachelor's or maste'rs degree in education to allow them to continue to teach in the North.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister responsible questions on this matter to see exactly why there is a lack of resources and dollars for teachers to continue their education and continue to live in our communities. To make a career of education, without worrying about the lack of money for training to better themselves to teach our students. Thank you.