GN to add full-day kindergarten to 7 communities
Expansion brings pilot project to a dozen Nunavut schools
Seven more Nunavut communities are getting full-day kindergarten starting next year, Education Minister Pamela Gross announced Thursday, bringing the total number of schools with full-day kindergarten to 12 across the territory. (File photo by David Venn)
Students in seven more communities will have access to full-day kindergarten as the Government of Nunavut expands the program throughout the territory.
Gjoa Haven, Grise Fiord, Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuaq, Resolute Bay, Sanikiluaq and Taloyoak are preparing to start full-day kindergarten programs in the next school year, Education Minister Pamela Gross announced in the legislative assembly Thursday.
“Expanding full-day kindergarten will help more students build foundational knowledge and skills in important areas such as Inuit culture and language, literacy, numeracy, as well as physical and social-emotional wellness,” Gross said in the legislature.
The full-day kindergarten pilot program was launched in five schools in August 2023: Nanook School in Iqaluit, Victor Sammurtok School in Chesterfield Inlet, Qaqqalik School in Kimmirut, Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik School in Kugluktuk and Inuglak School in Whale Cove.
This marked the first step to help guide a system-wide rollout, Gross said.
The next phase will continue with the seven additional schools, which have all received motions of approval from their local district education authorities, she added.
The department is developing a plan for sustainable, permanent full-day kindergarten that will address the additional infrastructure and human resource needs for additional Nunavut schools.
“Due to the anticipated high cost of renovations for some schools, further rollouts will be more gradual,” she said.
No one is learning anything in schools across Nunavut who’s wants to bet?? $100??
I bet you 100 bucks you’re from arviat. Anyone want in?
I dont think necessarily from Arviat… I am not from Arviat and I am disappointed in the school system… and I have to make the kids do extra work at home so they can read write and do math, and that is a lot of extra work for me.
but I guess when the focus of a lot of the schools is feeding the kids (which should be the focus of parents at home) then I guess that shows how messed up things are.
You, as a parent have to take that responsibility of teaching your own kids as well. I know this as a parent also.
Yes I agree parents need to be part of teaching their kids, but should a parent need to teach their kid what should have been taught in grade 1 when they are in grade 4? And I know youre going to say I should have taught them it when they were in Grade 1… well at what point does the Nunavut education system take responsibility? I am not a trained teach (though many in the K-6 range arnt either). because if they are not teaching the students in K or grade 1, when are they supposed to teach them?
“Expanding full-day kindergarten will help more students build foundational knowledge and skills in important areas such as Inuit culture and language, literacy, numeracy, as well as physical and social-emotional wellness,” Gross said in the legislature.
Does this mean they will actually learn how to read and write in Inuktitut… because right now it is so sad how low level the kids are. there are kids in grade 5 that can not do I Pi Ti Ki. and every kid in Kindergarten should be able to do that… at minimum.
The level the Kindergarten is at is to not have the kids fighting in class, and some colouring. but atleast there is more paid baby sitters.
people that disagree… I wonder what part they disagree with… do they actually think having some of the kids go to Kindergarten all day will increase their ability to read and write in Inuktitut? because if that was the case the kids in grade 5 would only be half a year behind not 5 years behind.
GN should be staffing daycares not Hamlets. Most of them can’t retain staff daycare workers only show up when they feel like it. When the daycares closed, everything else closes.
Nah, daycares by parent run societies is a great model. The problems you raised are the same all over Nunavut, even in the GN.
Thank you teaching us the only Inuktitut word QUANA
Looking forward to hearing other Inuktitut words
Quana Quana Quana
Don’t mix Q for K Please ! It’s quana with a Q not koana with a K
Is there only one picture of Mme Gross?
NN yea please find a new picture, not one that looks lost! Quana!
Sorry, she is lost.
I’m her position as well as to her own constituents.