Nunavut has ‘two-tier’ education system, Arviat-South MLA says
Joe Savikataaq zeroes in on disparities between Iqaluit and community schools during government’s midterm review
Arviat-South MLA Joe Savikataaq says that Nunavut has a “two-tier education system,” with Iqaluit having more resources available to it than are available to the territory’s other communities. (File photo)
There is inequality in Nunavut’s education system with Iqaluit having more resources than the rest of the communities, Arviat-South MLA Joe Savikataaq says.
“I truly believe that Nunavut is going to a two-tier education system,” Savikataaq said Wednesday in the legislative assembly.
He said students in Iqaluit have all the teachers and courses they need.
“Then you go to the outlying communities and [the resources] are not there,” he said.
“The education level is not the same.”
Savikataaq made the comments while pressing Education Minister Pamela Gross on the quality of education in Nunavut communities. Savikataaq’s questions were primarily focused on high school education.
Savikataaq asked Gross what the passing rate for high school exams was among Nunavut high school students outside of Iqaluit.
Gross did not have the answer but said her department would work to get it to Savikataaq.
He also asked Gross to clarify whether academic classes such as science, biology, chemistry and physics are available in all community high schools.
Gross said academic courses are offered in Nunavut high schools and that if a course is not available in person, it is offered online.
“And that’s available to all our students,” she added.
However, Savikataaq replied that his constituents tell him otherwise.
He said that improving issues many Nunavummiut — including youth — face, such as qualifying for a job, starts with a proper education.
“If your educational system cannot produce students that can go from high school into university or into college or into the trades, then the system is not working,” he said.
The exchange between Savikataaq and Gross occurred through the legislative assembly’s midterm mandate review, which began Nov. 6.
During that time, caucus has reviewed the government’s Katujjiluta mandate. When the government outlined the mandate in its 2022 throne speech, it was described as “a commitment to work in unity to manifest the courageous dream.”
This week, as the legislative assembly marks its second anniversary and the halfway point in its four-year term, MLAs have been asking questions to ministers regarding the progress of the mandate.
Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes suggested to cabinet Wednesday the next mandate report update should “be a little more real.”
He added that he understands promotion and positive messaging need to be given by cabinet.
“But have some reality in there, that there are challenges,” Hickes said of the report.
“It’s not unicorns and rainbows.”
I’m 100% sure he is correct but what did Joe do as Premier to make changes to education?
I’m going to put my money on NOTHING!
Now, now. Clearly Mr. Savikataaq is learning a lot this term, and good teachers encourage successful efforts.
Mr Savikataaq, while all valid points and not surprising of the lack of response by the Education Minister, the problems have been around for years and decades.
Joe, while you were Premier what did you accomplish to improve the Education System?
Can’t fail anyone till grade 10 😂 zombies 🧟 by the time they get to high school still doing 2+2
😂
Have you seen summa these outlying “communities”? 😱
Want to further your education?
Go where it leads… and WORK.
Rather than have society (tax payer, rent paying, flag waving) pander to every single sobbing Nunavut ledge member. At least try to be realistic.😄🤪
Iqaluit has everything they need because that’s where all the GN workers kids are. They are pushy about getting their southern standards and it shows.
Until all Inuit have housing and healthy lives there will be no equality in education.
Truth is most teachers have no desire to work in a small remote community. Until inuit start becoming qualified and competent teachers, it will be a revolving door of recent grads who are only in it for the short term.
Don’t sell the southern hires short, not only do they have new teachers, but you also have the jaded old ones padding out their pensions before they retire.
If you’ve worked for the GN for any length of time you are likely jaded, no matter where you are from.
Might sound crazy but I think nunavut might be better if kids grade 7 to 12 went to school only in iqaluit rankin and Cambridge. These communities can retain quality teachers but the small communities most teachers are lucky to even last 1 year. In the days days lot of students would go to sir John A in yellowknife for high school and stay in student housing. The quality of education was much better than it is now.
Agreed. With lack of resources, particularly teachers, it would made most sense to deliver higher grades in few regional hubs. In Greenland, kids go to elementary schools in their settlements, but move to regional towns for higher grades. They may teach in Kalaallisut, but they also do maximize this way their limited resources in have them in fewer communities.
All these politicians are strategic liars. When Joe was running the government he defended the same things that he now criticizing. When you are in power you can do no wrong eh!
No Joe.
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Iqaluit has a two tier education system. Probably has had for decades.
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Years ago the principal of the high school in Iqaluit told me that “all the students in the academic program had been together since kindergarten.” They had all started in the English stream. None of the students who had started classes in Inuktitut were in the academic program.
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Our son had started in the Inuktitut stream. At my insistance, our son was put into the academic stream. He had no difficulty with the course work, but he was the outsider and not accepted by the other students. At mid-year he chose to go back to be with his friends.
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Iqaluit definitely has a two-tier school system.
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How many students graduated with an academic grade 12 last June?
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How many of those were Inuit?
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How many attended school in a community other than Iqaluit?
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Inquiring minds want to know.
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Here’s a hint, the answers may be in this year’s annual report from the Department of Education, but that sort of information is not in any of the Annual Reports from previous years, the ones posted on the Department’s web page.
There should be an academic stream and a practical stream in school. you need the Academics to become doctors, teachers, and know finance, or someone that just wants to go to University or College.
Students also need to be able to move between those two streams as well. If someone is working hard and able to handle the academic stream allow it, and encourage it. And parents if you want your kid in the academic stream work with your kids outside of school to help them get there or stay there.
Former Insider, you should have kept your kid in the academic stream. he can see his friends after school. If he was able to make that jump don’t let your kid decided what is best for them. they are kids, they dont know what is best for them yet. that is your job as a parent.
Why would there be a difference? Most kids in elementary and middle school if not all, do not speak Inuktitut anymore and haven’t for a few decades now. The ones who do are children of transient Inuit who are in Iqaluit for training or higher education. There is a lack of standards for those NTEP trained student teachers. The NTEP program is run by those who did not learn how to teach academics in any language. You can still teach academics in Inuktitut but the NTEP program and the Department of education are not academically streamlined. Curriculum developed in Nunavut are using unstandard Inuktitut. It has to be standardized. Look at Greenland, they have a common dialect of Inuktitut and their texts, publications and school material are in the common dialect. You can teach academics in any language and culture you buzzheads. French, Spanish, Danish, Swahili, etc.
Savikataaq’ s disingenuous comments know no bounds of hypocrisy. What a waste of time! Where was he just yesterday as our Premier? Did he do anything to remedy the two tier system then? Did he even do anything about it in Arviat where he’s such good buddies with the high school principal? Isn’t it shameful that he called it Minister Gross’ education system? It’s our system: Nunavummiut’s. It’s all of us that must contribute to changing it. We want good, and more, Inuit teachers in our schools, our system. We want adequate housing for good teachers in our communities, We want decent salaries and living and work conditions for our school staff. We want less violence on our schools and communities. We are all part of the problem and we all need to be part of the solution instead of the ceaseless unproductive pecking at those working to achieve change against all odds. Either be part of the solution or shut up. Really.
Joe best friends with High School principle in Arviiat? You got that all wrong AP, he’s friends with even his enemies! He is made of Steele, HARD Rock Solid Gold!
Governments only point out problems, but never come up with good solutions.
I would suggest that attendance is higher in Iqaluit. High attendance leads to more teachers being hired and more course offerings. It is pretty hard to offer diverse and exciting programming to an empty school.
The socio-economic realities across NU have a far greater influence on schooling then schools themselves.
I personally don’t think it has to do with the attendance.
I feel if you have strong leaders in the workplace that are there to make a positive difference, you will see it. Each region in Nunavut has superintendent and they are responsible for the principals in the region they represent.
teacher/student ratio
“He said students in Iqaluit have all the teachers and courses they need.”
Is he talking about a different Iqaluit that I’m not aware of?
First get rid of social promotion. I fyou cant add or read at a grade 2 level you should not go to grade 3. What is then needed is more teachers to work with the students that need more hlep.
Also the K-3 teachers need to also be held accountable for what they are teaching (or lack of) in the class. they are basically daycare workers. When in Grade 3 the teachers are still just teaching I Pi TI Ki that shows that the previous teachers FAILED. and they should be ashamed.
The woeful state of the education system does not lie with the higher grade teachers if the fundamentals are not buttoned down in the early years of childhood development. And that’s not even counting the fact that learning should start at home. We all knew our ABC’s before we went to kindergarten because our parents took the time to teach it to us. Inuit children should know the I pi ti ki song before they enter school.
And to add to this I think if you are held back in say grade 2 from grade 3, if you can pass the requirement to move to grade 3 even part way through the year then i think it should be considered (we dont really want a kid that figures out what is needed from Grade 2 to end up board for half the year and regress)… probably with commitment from parents to ensure the student will be able to keep working to catch up. This would require some hard work and commitment from parents as wel though and not really and option for everyone.
Elected Premiers don’t have the same voice as other elected MLAs. So I can understand Mr. Savikaataaq voicing his concerns now.
It is true though Nunavut has two curriculums, I know of a young adult who graduated in a smaller Nunavut community, once the individual left for university to the south, their academic levels were too low, and was asked to take a pathway, While NAC in Iqaluit told this same person they didn’t qualify to register for a course with them due to their academic levels.
Larger communities such as Rankin, Iqaluit, and Cambridge Bay have better support in terms of teachers, and qualified SSA’s, while smaller ones have uneducated SSA’s, teachers that are close to retiring, or simply those that don’t have the same support as teachers in larger communities.
Pointing at the past ills of the House is not going to solve anything, my grand son enrolled at the Red River College, his academics grades were so low that college made him study for 8 months just so he can qualify to that program. His high graduation was in Rankin Inlet. What is this system? Yes there is two tie system and guess what, schools outside of Rankin Inlet are even worst off in terms of everything needed for proper education.
This situation could easily be the same for someone graduating from Inuksuk HS.
There’s no such thing as Nunavut curriculum! This is just a make-up program that is not relevant to academic programs but yes, programs that perhaps fit cultural programs! This certainly is not oriented to ACADEMIC education to further post-secondary! It’s time to review and revisit extra academic curriculum resources that is supposed to be actually delivered in classes! What actual resource books are being used and delivered in classes for teaching? We anticipate – English grammar, Mathematics, Social Studies, or Science, as part of resource to teach and educate every students learning. Who advocate regular school visits to ensure education in school’s is actually delivered as expected i.e. academic programs!
It’s time to review regional executive directors if they actually fulfil there position. Notice Gr.12 grads handed passing certification grades but still can barely read English proper grammar (read or write), or Mathematics? Notice the trend? Who monitors slacky cornflakes teachers that supposedly should be teaching Academic LEVEL?
Notice trend with slacky bureaucracy’s!?!
The curricula are mostly from Alberta with a little from NWT, Manitoba and Ontario. Nunavut, one of the most unique territories/provinces, does not have or has not developed curricula to suit and address the needs/particularities of its population. Is it because, those in curriculum development. student services, the Dept, and other interconnected divisions lack the ability and desire to do so? Is it because, there will be no excuse then for students who do not attend and cannot commit to learning? Is it because, education is not seen as the answer to moving forward and complacently waiting for limited housing in your community is the answer? Is it because, this notion will seem much better in theory and falter in practice (i.e NTEP – whose results have been shelved to hide the atrocious findings that were uncovered during the review process)? Is it because, implementation will just be overwhelming and next to impossible to get buy-in from (i.e. like the revamping the DE election policies)? Is it because, the results will continue to be the same regardless of the content, the delivery and the associated process as long as the key components of the system are broken (parents, support, and individual drive)? Is it because…
wow! cornflakey teachers!? I love it. Yes to your comment. yes to performance management. enough is enough!
In 1999, education created a curriculum office in Arviat. Still no curriculum 24 years later. What have we been paying those people to do for all these years?
Pam are you serious? I am disappointed and ashamed you can’t acknowledge the issue. It exists in your home down of Cambridge Bay which is a hub community.
There is absolutely a lack of teachers / nonexistent vacant positions for classes that are not offered. University prep / required classes. And to default back on, “well we can get those students to take them on-line” is one of the most disappointing statements I can think of. What is the success rate of high-school students taking difficult university prep courses like Chemistry, Pre-Cal, Calculus or Statistics on-line? I am quite certain you don’t have that stat based on your other comments but I think its fair to say it would be abysmal.
Teachers are guiding young minds and part of their job is to figure out how to best teach a kid because all kids learn different and you’re not going to get that from an on-line course. Let alone the laboratory time you get down south for Chem, Bio and Physics.
The reason parents who have the means don’t stay in Nunavut is not because they don’t love living here. If they stayed long enough to start and raise a family, they likely love the community, love the lifestyle, but can’t bare to see their child get the worst education by a mile in the country. People will always want the best for their kids and high school in Nunavut isn’t that. You automatically handicap your child’s chances in life by putting them through high school here and that’s a statistical fact based on education rates, and successful post-secondary education completion.
It’s not even just the academic route that is lacking. This country is screaming for tradespeople, its an excellent paying position and Nunavut has no developed trades program. Your own town Pam, does not utilize the huge wood working workshop in the school because you haven’t had a teacher for it in years. Its been used as storage. How are you doing that one online eh?
Its a sad state of affairs,.
I couldn’t have said this better myself. What used to be the flagship for the Kitikmeot now struggles to keep students in classes.
The result is that standards are non-existent, morale is low and now 19 principals in 25 years speak to the incompetence at the regional level and the machinations of regional directors to maintain power.
Sadly, I don’t see an answer to this until the adults in the room stand up and demand more, from the system, the teachers, their children and themselves. Otherwise, stop classes in grade 9, call it a day and let the community acknowledge and be responsible for the lost youth.
The first step in decolonizing education starts with a purposeful refusal to participate, and not another excuse as to why the child can’t be at school. (or at work, or on the team, or…)
you experts forget what was going on while Joe was the premier? Ransom ware and the pandemic. He still managed to accomplish more during his term than the current lost child who has had no obstacles to overcome and still has done nothing other than photo opps.
Half of the kids don’t even go to class, especially in high school. Yes, the teacher shortage is a problem, but parents need to start stepping up and making their kids go to class. Kids of southern-import parents graduate at a high rate despite the teacher shortage. This shows you that the biggest issue is parents not making their kids go to school.
Schools in yelliwknife should be options or any private schools in all of canada. Those are way better than most of nunavut schools where they hire locas making decisions for inuit kids. Government funded inuit teachers non certified.
By design all of Nunavut has a two tier system as we follow Alberta’s system
Regular classes for Math, English, Science, cover the basics that allow students to go to college for trades, office admin jobs, secretary, teachers, office administrator, business management, nurses etc.
Academic Math, English, Science classes are advanced that allow students to go to University to become Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Architects, Deputy Ministers, Managers, Directors etc.
But yes I agree there is less opportunity in the smaller communities to get in to Academics because of the lack of resources, lack of home work, but when only 12 out of 24 students attend a class and there is only a 50% attendance rate schools in Nunavut get funded though a formula of student attendance, less attendance, less funding less resources, higher attendance, more resources more funding.
Parents should share the blame for this as they are not getting their kids up for school, let them be out all hours of the night so they end up sleeping in and missing class.
Graduation rates in the community (for students who begin at Grade 1 there) is around 15%. From a typical grade 1 class with 20 pupils, only 3 graduate from high school with a Grade 12 diploma. Virtually none of those 15% are academically prepared for post-secondary learning. That has been the way since day 1 of Nunavut nearly twenty-five years ago. Prior to that, many students in the west went to high school in Yellowknife, some in central went to Churchill and even Winnipeg, and some in the east went to Ottawa.
Sadly, most of the few who do graduate with college-ready credentials go to NS in Ottawa. Nearly all the high-school graduates who attend NAC are enrolled in basic Math, Science, and English courses at NAC to provide a basic level in those courses, before they are able to engage in regular NAC program (most of which are quite basic). Most can not read a high-school text book.
Where to start? Teach kids to read at an early age? Encourage learning? Give up? Encourage local high-school graduates to become teachers? Send kids to boarding school in the South or a larger community for high school?
Schools in Iqaluit don’t close for funerals. In some communities schools have an extra 10-15 days extra off a year. That’s 3 weeks less of instruction add it up over the start of K-class to the end of high-school and that works out to a full year of school less.
Not just funeral shut downs, but also NO water and weather closures. That doesent even get into that the school has a breakfast program that runs till 9, the buss picks up at 11:30 and dropping kids off at 1:30, then picks up kids at 3:30.
each day (even if you had a teacher that didnt just show movies every other day) there is only like 4.5 hours MAX of teaching… but also that does not take in the change between subjects. that is missing 1.5 hours a day? that is 7.5 hours a week. thats more then a full day missed each week.
I think schools in Nunavut communities should be capped at Grade 8, there might be enough capacity and resources to achieve that. Then, if they can pass an entrance exam, they could be admitted to a larger residential school in Iqaluit for example. The students would conceivably work hard to pass that real world Grade 8 test to get out of their stifling communities and broaden their horizons. A residential school would provide the resources and the structure to give a student a fighting chance of making it into a college or university or a trade. I dare say residential schools, new generation, would be a refreshing turn of events at the present time, compared to the status quo. I think we are at the point now where parents would see the benefits of sending their kids off to residential schools in September as they know the gains and the opportunities for their children would far outweigh the potential costs. If the kids don’t measure up, they are sent home. Keep in mind that today’s Inuit leaders are largely graduates of old-school residential schools. Order, structure, motivation, three meals a day, protection from abuse…all those good things.
There are also disparities between schools in different neighborhoods in the same city in the south… This is definitely an issue across North America, it’s not special to Nunavut. Despite those inequities, many of the schools are doing their very best. Parents must be involved and set expectations that their children will go to school and try their best. They should help with assignments, read to their children every night, and set the bar high – teachers and schools are not responsible for setting the bar for students. I’ve met many people from smaller communities who are extremely intelligent and capable despite coming from that school system. The education system is pretty good, or good enough… It would be refreshing to hear leaders encourage students to work hard instead of using their life experience and describing it with such a deficit, negative perspective for personal political gain. Teachers work hard here and it’s not ALL up to schools. It’s up to parents to set expectations on their students, and it’s how we as a society talk about our children and their experience publicly that matters. Words matter.
You’re using too many big, multiple syllables in the phrases.
Can you use sweat words instead? Summa Na Gun!!🤯
The vision at all 3 schools in Arviat is sorely lacking. This being said, the education problems or lack there of begin in the home.