Nunavut has plans to tackle bullying in schools: Aariak

Kids in Cambridge Bay walk in an anti-bullying march held earlier this year in Cambridge Bay. (FILE PHOTO)

Nunavut’s education department and its district education authorities are working on ways to reduce bullying in schools, Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak, also the territory’s education minister, said May 15 in the legislative assembly.

Talk about those plans surfaced after Jeannie Ugyuk, MLA for Nattilik wanted to know what anti-bullying programs the Government of Nunavut has been working on, and how these would be rolled out.

Ugyuk said she received a letter for Aariak from a constituent, a student in Taloyoak, suggesting that there should be an anti-bullying curriculum for all Nunavut schools.

“Curriculum and school services staff are developing a resource manual for schools in the topic of establishing a positive school environment,” Aariak told Ugyuk.

As well, Nunavut’s DEAs plan to address bullying through new student codes of conduct, she said.

The student who sent the letter to the MLA and premier said she thinks there is a low chance that there are any bully-free schools in Nunavut. This prompted Ugyuk to ask Aariak whether the Department of Education collects statistics or any other information about the rate of bullying in Nunavut schools.

“I am not aware of data collection on bullying issues in the schools, but, as you know, bullying is not just a school issue — it’s actually an issue that can be around in our society,” Aariak said.

Bullying takes place in the homes, on the streets, in the schools, even in the workplace, she said.

In order to deal with bullying, people have to work together, she said.

The Department of Education is committed to working with schools, parents, communities and agencies with the training processes and resources to create safe school environments, she said.

But bullying in schools remains a problem, Aariak acknowledged, with some students discouraging other students from continuing their education.

“The staff are now working on the curriculum so that they will have a better positive environment in the school,” she said.

Some schools are using a restitution approach to improve school environments and students’ interpersonal relationships, she said.

That approach tries to see students taking responsibility for their actions and improving their behaviour.

“Bullying is serious and has implications for building and maintaining positive school environments,” Aariak said.