Former teachers recall the past

Several Iqalungmiut recalled things that used to work at the Iqaluit session of the Arctic College public hearings last week.

Terry Forth, speaking as a northern resident since 1968, said that he was struck by the high literacy level in the Kivalliq region when he came North as the superintendent of adult education in Churchill in 1968.

“I’d guess the literacy rate was about 90 per cent for adults able to read and write in Inuktitut syllabics,” Forth said.

Mick Mallon, a teacher who came to the Kivalliq over 40 years ago, recalls a time when all college students were required to take Inuktitut language courses, either as a first or second language.

Mary Ellen Thomas, executive director of the Nunavut Research Institute and a former adult educator, remembers when each community had an adult education committee, which carried out needs assessments for programs, chose students for some programs, and “had authority.”

“That was lost,” Thomas said.

She also recalled when every single student at the college took Inuktitut. And she recalled teaching distance education classes, including students from the UK and Australia.

“It worked. It has worked. The only thing holding us back is our feet.”

Thomas also criticized the education department’s recent focus on building new adult education centers in the communities.

“Adult basic education can occur anywhere,” she said. “I once taught in a post office,[after hours].”

“We don’t need fancy new buildings. What we need is investment in people, materials for the classroom, distance education and computer technology.”

Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo said it was “good to hear some context.”

“These things were there before. Why aren’t they there now?”