The new school year's new teachers were recently given a tour of the Yukon, which included a visit to the Champagne-Aishihik First Nations. Deputy chief Kathy Van Bibber welcomed them to the territory.

Of the 36 new hires for this year, only one was a Yukon Native Teachers' Education Program (YNTEP) graduate, who had previously been working outside the territory.

This caused concern for Van Bibber.

'It is a concern for me,' she said in an interview last month. 'There were maybe five to 10 grads. We should have way more than that.

'You look at the number of kids in the school program who are from the first nations and then you look at the number of teachers and it doesn't match up at all.'

Dave Sloan, a director of learning for the Department of Education, said this morning 112 positions were posted this year and included new and rehire opportunities.

Of the new hire positions, many were teachers from outside the Yukon who were recruited for specialty positions including French immersion and shop courses.

However, he added, seven Yukon native teachers were rehired and had already completed their new teacher orientation.

The YNTEP, which started in 1989, has produced 89 graduates, many of whom are now employed in the Yukon school system.

Sloan said 34 of the graduates are employed as teachers, while another 47 are working in other capacities within the Department of Education, YTG, Yukon College and first nations governments.

Due to some unexpected circumstances, only three of the six people scheduled to graduate this past spring completed all the course requirements.

Of those three, none chose to seek employment for the 2007-08 school year.

Lori Eastmure, the co-ordinator of YNTEP, said two of the women have had babies and chose to take a year off, while the third graduate is planning on being a substitute teacher this year to build up experience.

All three are hoping to eventually find work in the school system.

The three students who were unable to complete graduation requirements for 2007 will be finshing the program in 2008.

Despite the small graduating class, the YNTEP, which has opened six of a possible 18 seats to non-aboriginal persons, has experienced record enrolment levels over the last two years, with a total of 40 students enrolled in the program both for both this year and last year.

Eastmure said many northern students are interested in the cultural content they can pick up from the course.

'Non-aboriginal and aboriginal students are studying together. You cannot get better cultural sharing than that,' said Eastmure.

The program tries to have as many aboriginal applicants as possible, she added. Over the course of the year, she will be travelling to Yukon communities to meet with possible applicants and answer questions.

Meanwhile, Sloan confirmed that many of the Yukon teachers who were already working in temporary positions in the school system and who did apply for posted jobs were rehired.

The Yukon follows a hiring protocol that ensures first nations are given priority during the hiring process.

'Protocol, as it stands right now, is pretty clear that first priority is given to teachers who are moving schools. Those are people who are permanent teachers in the school system. Then it's first nations teachers.'

Graduates from the Yukon school system are next in line in order of priority.

Sloan said one of the challenges facing both aboriginal and non-aboriginal recruitement is that Whitehorse is where people want to teach and there are not always enough job openings to accommodate all interested applicants.

Eastmure, for her part, is not concerned. She said new graduates are happy to sub while they build up experience and look for jobs that are of interest to them.

Trevor Wales contributed to this story.