Is education the magic bullet that could prevent suicide?

“It seems that no one bothered to find out what children are actually thinking”

By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

The bureaucratic gobbledygook in the recently published Nunavut suicide prevention plan evaluation report comprises, of itself, evidence of suicidal causation.

The short-answer solution could be said in just two words: Fix education.

The longer answer is that students, from the earliest age, need physical activity and after-school programs, including supervised homework.

It seems that no one bothered to find out what children are actually thinking — like the recent graduate in Iqaluit who told me school was torture by boredom.

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna campaigned for election on a promise to fix education. But, on the evidence, he’s done absolutely nothing.

One example of a successful program on all societal counts was the Inuvik ski program that produced the backbone of Canada’s cross-country Olympic ski team four decades ago. People didn’t commit suicide during the decade when that program was operating. Having been schooled in Inuvik, Mr. Taptuna should know about that.

Another successful school program is the America Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), oriented toward disadvantaged students living in dysfunctional neighborhoods.

Its intensiveness comprises a longer school day, a longer school year, and school on Saturday mornings.

Almost all graduates then go on to post-secondary education without requiring preferentially lowered admission standards.

Colin Alexander
Ottawa

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