By Bryan Eneas

NORTEP transition not going smooth: Student Association

Apr 18, 2017 | 6:00 AM

Students feel the Northern Teacher Education Program (NORTEP) transition to governance under Northlands College is off to a rocky start.

Since August 2016, students from NORTEP and the Northern Professional Access College (NORPAC) in La Ronge have questioned the decision to consolidate their program with an education provider in the North. On March 15, the Ministry of Advanced Education announced Northlands College would take over the NORTEP program. 

For Amie Bell, president of NORTEP’s student association, the transition has proven trying at times.

“I’m very stressed out because I’m caught in the middle of the faculty and staff, and the students as well,” Bell said.

A press release issued by the NORTEP student association highlighted some changes to the program as they have come to know it.

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According to Bell, current students from NORTEP who are not covered under the treaty right to education qualify for tuition and book funding through NORTEP, something which doesn’t seem to be happening through Northlands College.

The student president said those who have lived in the north for five years or more qualify for free tuition, books and living allowances through NORTEP.

In their release, the students association stated they found costs for tuition at the program through Northlands will be around $6,000 and books will run around $900, but makes no mention of living allowances.

Bell said the new application process has no guarantees for NORTEP students.

“It was really upsetting for many students because we aren’t guaranteed that position,” Bell said. “A lot of students have to apply to two programs just to be on the safe side.”

She said students are considering the Southern Urban Native Teachers Education program, or are looking as far away as Meadow Lake or Saskatoon for the same type of program they are currently enrolled in.

Programming is currently delivered through “face-to-face” or live lectures, but this is going to change according to the student’s association release, saying more internet based lectures and video conferencing will occur.

Bell said she believes programming will suffer due to a lack of direct interaction between teachers and students, a fact that she said has made “NORTEP successful.”

“A lot of students have come up to me and said that’s one of the reasons they aren’t comfortable with going to Northlands College,” Bell said. “They need that face to face interaction and to build that relationship with the instructor.”

paNOW reached out to Northlands College for comment but were unable to return our message prior to publication.

bryan.eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas