Nunavut MLA committee wants written submissions on education

Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes, chair of the Nunavut legislative assembly’s special committee on the Education Act with Michael Ferguson, the Auditor General of Canada, during a break in legislative hearings held April 1 to talk about the Auditor General’s 2013 report on education in Nunavut. (FILE PHOTO)

The Nunavut legislative assembly’s special committee on the Education Act is inviting Nunavut residents and organizations to submit written submissions to them by Oct. 31, 2014.

“The submissions that we receive from individuals and organizations will help to guide our review over the coming year,” said Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes, the chair of the special committee.

MLAs voted June 9 to create the five-member special committee, which will conduct a review of the 2008 Nunavut Education Act.

The act, which mandated the creation of a fully bilingual, English-Inuktitut education program from kindergarten to Grade 12, must be reviewed every five years.

When they conduct their review, MLAs on the committee are expected to look at the administration and implementation of the Education Act and its attached regulations, and at whether the government has achieved the act’s objectives.

MLAs may also make recommendations for changes to the legislation.

Following the review, the committee will table its findings and recommendations at the fall 2015 sitting of the legislative assembly.

Hickes said he will write to groups such as the Coalition of District Education Authorities, the Commission scolaire francophone and the Nunavut Teachers’ Association to invite them to share their views.

The special committee comprises:

• Pat Angnakak, MLA for Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu;
• George Hickes, MLA for Iqaluit-Tasiluk (Chair);
• Simeon Mikkungwak, MLA for Baker Lake (Co-Chair);
• Paul Quassa, minister of education and MLA for Aggu; and
• Joe Savikataaq, MLA for Arviat South.

Alternate members include:

• Alex Sammurtok, MLA for Rankin Inlet South;
• Isaac Shooyook, MLA for Quttiktuq; and
• Jeannie Ugyuk, MLA for Netsilik.

The Auditor General of Canada has already found that the Nunavut government will not meet the bilingual education goals set out in the 2008 Education Act.