KSB flyer intended to inform parents

Concerning the letter from K. Annanack published on March 28: I regret that you find it unacceptable for us to send information to parents through the children. The purpose of the flyer was to inform, not to play politics. As parents, you have every right to know what your commissioners are doing and why, especially in the context of such an important court case.

We have used the FM radio, news releases, meetings with school administrators and the education council to inform the population about our actions. We distributed the flyer to help to clarify the reasons why the school board is going to court, because we heard that people were still confused about the issues.

As to your suggestion that parents were not consulted, I would like to say that the decision to go to court was made by your elected representatives as a result of Makivik not respecting the terms of the political accord they signed. The education council, comprised of representatives of local education committees, was also consulted fully on these issues.

You say that the money spent on the court case would be better spent on education resources. If we did not spend money on the court case now, in future years, millions of dollars earmarked for education could very well be spent on non-education projects, if the “Let Us Share” report recommendations are implemented as is. Our job as commissioners is to protect education.

You say that you have heard that there are no proper Inuttitut and cultural teaching materials. If you have not already done so, may I suggest that you visit your local school and ask to see the social studies program and the materials developed for it, as well as the Inuttitut materials used in Kindergarten and in Grades 1 and 2. We do not claim to be perfect, but Inuit education is improving all the time. Our focus on moving the court case forward has not affected pedagogical development in any way.

Please carefully read the flyer sent to your home, and you will soon find out that our goal is simple: to protect education now, and for the future.

I have a lot more to say, but hopefully this brief letter will clarify some of your most important concerns. Please feel free to contact me personally if you wish to discuss the matter further.

Sarah Aloupa
President
Kativik School Board