High school teachers don’t choose scholarship winners

This is in response to the open letter to the minister of education that was published in Nunatsiaq News on June 3, 2005.

As a recipient of the Millennium Scholarship and a graduate of Inuksuk High School I am confused by the argument made in the open letter to the minister of education.

First of all, the faculty of the high school are not involved in the selection process. I have witnessed the efforts made by Sheila Levy and Bryon Doherty (among others) to encourage students to fill out applications for awards. At every meeting of graduates, Bryon Doherty and Sheila Levy would hand out applications. Students who chose not to attend such meetings would not get these applications, but the applications were always available in the school office, or Sheila Levy’s office.

To say that there is not equal access to these scholarships is simply ridiculous and incredibly false. Perhaps the students who you spoke to about scholarship information are the students who never show up to graduate meetings and are the students who do not contribute to the efforts made by the rest of the graduating class.

It is wrong to place the blame for how scholarships are awarded on faculty of the high school. Scholarships are awarded to students who deserve them. The scholarships that you claim are being handed out to members of the high school faculty’s children are awarded nationally, not only in Nunavut.

Perhaps it is necessary to actually go to the high school and ask students (those who attend school and the meetings of graduates) or teachers, to see how this process is completed before embarrassing those hard-working students who have rightfully been awarded scholarships.

The solution to this problem you have is to encourage the students you are concerned about to attend graduate meetings that are scheduled weekly. Also, these scholarships are not simply handed out to anyone. One who applies must meet the required criteria.

I feel your claims are entirely wrong and completely ill-researched. Have you looked to the student as part of the problem in not receiving a scholarship? Or is it in your interest to make it everyone else’s fault?

Alex Solski
Inuksuk High School Graduate 2004
Iqaluit