The Education minister privately reiterated his support for the branch of government he blamed for not keeping him up-to-date earlier this month.

The Star confirmed today that Education Minister John Edzerza wrote to his staff who have been at the middle of the veterinary school controversy.

'(The minister sent) a letter indicating the support for the work of the department and the advanced education branch,' cabinet spokesman Albert Petersen said this morning.

It is the advanced education branch that looks after the funding of a spot at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.

The funding of that spot, at $25,000 a year, has been called into question recently.

Initially, the government refused to pay the college for the spot, which it must to guarantee a position for a qualified student from the Yukon.

The money is not for tuition but to fund the school. The four western provinces each fund the school and a specific number of seats are then set aside for each province.

However, after Economic Development Jim Kenyon lobbied Edzerza, who initially said no, the cabinet decided to fund the seat for an eligible student, who happens to be a seasonal employee of Kenyon's local veterinary clinic.

One year earlier, the government had said no to paying for the seat for another eligible student.

In a letter he wrote earlier this month explaining the situation, Edzerza blamed the department for not making him aware of the situation with the student from 2003.

'In March of 2003, departmental officials declined to sponsor a seat for a student that was applying to the college,' Edzerza wrote. 'Unfortunately, this decision was not brought to the attention of the minister's office until this past summer.'

However, documents show Edzerza knew about the other student as early as March 2004 when he wrote to Kenyon and said no, the government would not pay for the seat for the second student.

Later that week, Kenyon lambasted the department for not keeping the minister aware of the situation and for wrongly preventing a student from a chance of going to the college.

On Jan. 18, Kenyon apologized to the public servants in a news conference.

During that press conference, Edzerza spoke in favour of his department. He also said he apologized to anyone he may have inadvertently offended.

When asked if that apology was meant for advanced education because of his finger-pointing in the letter from one week earlier, Edzerza reiterated that he was apologizing to anyone he may have offended.

Petersen pointed out that the note to the advanced education staff was in support of them and not an apology.

As for Kenyon's apology, a copy was sent to all civil servants after it was initially sent to the deputy ministers by the premier.

However, the copy has been unsigned.

Petersen said what was sent out to each employee was the text of the apology so they could read it. It was not intended to be a signed letter from the repentant minister.