Suicidal youth look to NORTEP grads for stability: official
Northerners educated to teach, and who have long-term relationships in the northern communities where they work, are a vital source of social stability for children and youth at risk of suicide, a leading northern educator says.
Ken Ladouceur, director of education for the Northern Lights School Division (NLSD), said he is concerned the pending changes to administration of the Northern Teacher Education Program (NORTEP) will reduce the number of local people teaching in classrooms that are too often led by temporary residents with no background in northern life and culture.
Many are excellent teachers but return to the south after a few years, he said.
Northern Saskatchewan communities, like others across the Canadian north, endure crisis-level youth suicide rates. Four girls, ages 14 and under, from three communities, have taken their own lives in October alone.
The annual suicide rate in Keewatin Yatthe Regional Health Authority is the highest of any in the province, at 43.4 suicides per 100,000 people between 2008 and 2012 — more than triple the provincial rate of 12.7.
“If you’re dealing with hopelessness and despair in a little person’s life and that hopelessness and despair can manifest itself into suicide, you need to look for who are the important adults in their world,” Ladouceur said.
“You need someone who’s going to develop relationships and be there for a long time. That’s what they’re looking for inside the classroom,” he added.
“NORTEP is invaluable to us because we’re training teachers from the north who know and love being here and want to be part of it. We’re worried about the outcomes of these conversations about NORTEP.”
First Nations leaders such as Bob Merasty, second vice-chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, have called for funding for permanent supports — community health lines, counsellors and mental health training for family members and others the young people “know and trust.”
“We need to be proactive, rather than reactive. We need to invest in these communities so they can come up with solutions (on) how they help their young people,” Merasty said.
Ladouceur also noted that, contrary to remarks made last week by Advanced Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre, there is a chronic shortage of teachers in the north. The NLSD began the school year with six vacancies and still has three unfilled teaching positions within its 17 schools.
To cope, schools must reassign specialists, such as guidance counsellors, to classrooms, depriving the school of a guidance counsellor or other specialist, such as in math.
Eyre said redirecting funding for NORTEP does not automatically change the program. That will depend on which other institution takes on delivery of the program after talks with the organization, she said.
“Of course we need teachers in the north who can build a life and teach and thrive in the north, now more than ever.”
Changing the program is about sustainability for the 40-year-old program, she said.
“We’re absolutely committed,” she said.
La Loche and the adjacent Clearwater River Dene Nation, which now hosts a Dene Teacher Education Program, also have a commitment from the province for a combined basic education and tritrades program.
“We hope graduates of these programs will stay in the community and help rebuild it from tragedy ... The last thing this is about is discontinuing teacher education programs,” Eyre said.
We hope graduates of these programs will stay in the community and help rebuild it from tragedy ...”