Social promotions rob Nunavut students, MLAs say

SEAN MCKIBBON
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — Education Minister James Arvaluk said his department has no idea how pervasive “social passing” or “social promotion” is within Nunavut’s schools, but he’s going to look into it.

“I don’t have a clue,” said Arvaluk to a question from Baker Lake MLA Glen McLean about how common it is for teachers to simply push children with inadequate skills through the school system.

Arvaluk heard from a number of regular MLA’s that some student’s in Nunavut are graduating without learning the three Rs.

“It’s a real problem in the communities,” said Arviat MLA Kevin O’Brien during a break in the assembly. “We had a number of students go off to nursing college in the South a few years back and most of them dropped out. They couldn’t take it. They were supposed to have Grade 12 but they probably only had Grade 8 or 9.”

O’Brien says there should be territory-wide standardized tests for students in Grades 3 to 9. Ian Rose, the director of policy for the education department, said standardized testing only happens for 13 and 16 year olds, “in some subject areas at this point.”

“If it’s only being done after you get to Grades 10, 11, 12 it’s probably too late,” O’Brien told the committee.