NORTEP, Sask. government reach agreement on northern education, funding cuts remain

The Northern Teacher Education Program (NORTEP) and the Ministry of Advanced Education have come to an agreement that will support continued access to high quality post-secondary education in northern Saskatchewan.

The news comes after Bronwyn Eyre, minister of advanced education, met with NORTEPstakeholders, students and community members in La Ronge, Sask., last week.

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NORTEPwill meet with stakeholders and various post-secondary institutes to hold consultations. These will help NORTEP and the government assessoptions for providing teacher education, and arts and sciences education, beyond July 2017, when funding to the program will cease.

"This decision is not about moving programs out of the north," Eyre said in a press release."This is about making sure that the north has sustainable post-secondary programs and opportunities, including the teacher education that it deserves."

Buckley Belanger, NDP MLA for Athabasca, took issue with Eyre's comments in question period on Monday.

"Is her message to the kids in the north that we don't deserve the NORTEP/NORPAC program?" Belanger asked. "That we, in the north, deserve a [funding] cut?"

Meanwhile, the government's release said that changes to the northern education programs must be "carefully considered to minimize impacts on current and future students."