Plan Nord promises new education programs in Nunavik

Nunavik youth will benefit from new education programs under Quebec’s Plan Nord, targeted at keeping students in school and preparing youth to join the region’s workforce.

The long-awaited plan, launched May 9, promised $2.1 billion to kickstart social and infrastructure programs to open Quebec’s northern lands to mining, energy production and tourism.

Along with infrastructure development, Nunavik can expect to see money for social programs to improve the quality of life in its communities, although Quebec hasn’t put a price tag or timeline on its new school programs, which will be run through the Kativik School Board.

“I think the projects are really interesting, we’re very excited about them,” said Elias Moukannas, the KSB’s interim director of education services. “But we don’t really have information on the how and the how much.”

That means that the launch of Nunavik Sivuniksavut, originally planned for 2012, will likely be delayed by one year, Moukannas said.

“But even that depends on how much they give us,” he said.

Quebec did say it would give money to set up a Montreal-based post-secondary program called Nunavik Sivuniksavut, the Nunavik version of the successful Nunavut Sivuniksavut college-level program for Inuit students in Ottawa.

The eight-month program provides an Inuit-centred education and prepares students to work for Nunavut organizations.

But to launch Nunavik Sivuniksavut, the KSB needs money to lease a Montreal space to host the program, purchase materials, hire about three staff and pay for students’ travel and lodging expenses.

Plan Nord didn’t promise Nunavik any money to develop a regional post-secondary institution, also on Nunavik’s wish list, but Moukannas hopes to see this realized in future phases of the 25-year plan.

Another project, called “Echelon Nunavik,” hopes to expand on the success of the KSB’s science camps by offering them throughout the school year.

That proposed program would distribute five team events throughout the school calendar, where students must complete a mission targeting different academic subjects.

And finally, as part of new provincial curriculum, Nunavik schools will offer what’s called “alternative learning paths.”

That means that instead of only academic study, students can choose work-oriented courses and internships to prepare them for a job after they graduate.

These could include virtual courses for students in smaller communities, but this means the KSB would need new multimedia classroom tools.

All three programs are based on proposals submitted by the KSB as part of Nunavik’s requests for money under Plan Nord.

But the office of Nathalie Normandeau, the minister responsible for the Plan Nord, did not return Nunatsiaq News’ request for information on how and when those programs actually receive money.