Nunavut students want tough discipline

A flying saucer landed in the middle of Cambridge Bay. No, it’s the spacey-looking, $22-million Kiilinik High School, which opened in 2002, after arson saw the previous high school burn to the ground in 1998. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

Here are the faces of the Nunavut’s future: a class of bright Grade 11 students at Kiilinik High School in Cambridge Bay. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

Melynda Minilgak and Audla Buchan— two of the outspoken students at Kiilinik High School. Buchan was elected president of the school’s student council last week, while Minilgak represented the Cambridge Bay youth at the recent Kitikmeot Inuit Association annual general meeting. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

CAMBRIDGE BAY — People who have serious concerns about Nunavut’s education system could learn some startling — and useful — lessons by listening to kids.

The students at Cambridge Bay’s Kiilinik High School have some surprisingly tough-minded observations about how to improve the system.

“Start focusing on education instead of feelings” is the message from Korinne McDonald’s Grade 11 students, whose plans include university in the South or Nunavut Sivuniksavut and careers as teachers, medical specialists and politicians.

Their prescriptions, and their performance, have never been more important, especially in Cambridge Bay, where a job boom beckons, but only for those who do well in school.

Some of their comments are surprising: they want to see tougher, not softer, consequences for absenteeism, bad behaviour and late arrival to classes.

“Bring back corporal punishment” to keep students in line, suggests a teenaged boy — or at least some punishment, he says.

Late arrivals to class used to be sent to an in-house detention room, called the school’s “personal reflection room.” Now, when students are late, they simply sit outside until the teacher lets them in, or they leave.

McDonald’s students say they want to see that “PR” room, once dubbed the “prison room”— come back.

“Students need to know they can’t cut classes,” a girl says.

About six of her classmates aren’t there today. Many more have dropped out.

“I miss them, but I have no pity for them,” another chimes in.

Make parents get their kids to school, the students say — with consequences if they don’t comply.

And if these kids still don’t come to school, fail them.

To lower the number of dropouts, now at around three of every four students, school also should be more fun, with “spirit days” and a winter prom. If you make school more fun, kids will be more inclined to come, they say.

They also want to bring back school assemblies, the early morning gatherings where they used to start the day by singing “O Canada.”

These Grade 11 students also criticize how their education is delivered.

They don’t like the recently instituted, multi-level classes, which the new Nunavut education act calls for.

These classes are supposed to be more inclusive, recognize different learning styles and keep more students in school.

But the students say their teachers struggle to cope with the varying skill levels.

And it’s wrong to keep passing students, even when they haven’t mastered the material, they say.

They also miss French classes — which were cut this year— and northern studies, another casualty of the changing curriculum.

And the students bash the aulaajaqtuut program, part of the new made-in-Nunavut curriculum, which focuses on building emotional well-being.

A typical exercise sees students in groups trying to figure what their needs are and then put these into clear statements or reading about a caribou hunt.

They say it’s useless and boring.

Some of the students say they understand some Innuinaqtun, but they’re far from being fluent.

An hour with McDonald’s class passes quickly: the students who say they’re not asked for their opinions are eager to talk— “this is not a school where you can say what you want,” “our voices aren’t heard.”

So looking to improve educational results in Cambridge Bay and other Nunavut communities?

Policy-makers and school administrators should start listening to youth instead of elders who never attended school, the parent of a Kiilinik student suggests.

“People have to get over looking at youth as a problem. They’re the solution.”