Ailivik MLA Solomon Malliki is calling for the Department of Education to do more to protect students after he detailed Monday a recent violent incident at a school in Naujaat. (Screen shot courtesy of Nunavut legislative assembly)
Parents scared to send kids to school after violent incident: Ailivik MLA
RCMP confirm person was medevaced from Naujaat; incident under investigation
A Nunavut MLA says some parents in his constituency are afraid to send their children to school after a student was seriously beaten by a peer.
Ailivik MLA Solomon Malliki raised the issue in the legislative assembly Monday.
“It is very upsetting when a parent contacts you with a photo of their 12-year-old student who has been so badly beaten by a fellow student they have to be medevaced out of the community,” he said.
“It is sad to hear that parents aren’t sending their kids to school because they are worried for their safety. It is even sadder to hear that our youth are scared to go to school because of the violence they see around them.”
Nunatsiaq News reached out to the RCMP for details about the alleged incident. RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Pauline Melanson confirmed in an email that someone had been medevaced from Naujaat.
As of Thursday, the incident was still under investigation.
Malliki asked Education Minister Pamela Gross what the Department of Education is doing to ensure the safety and security of students in school.
Gross said she was on leave at the time for the birth of her daughter, but she was aware of the incident and knew Malliki had sent a letter to the department about it.
The department wrote a letter back to Malliki on Oct. 12 addressing his concerns, Gross said.
Nunatsiaq News reached out to the Department of Education and Malliki for copies of their letters. Malliki said his letter contained confidential information and declined to provide it. The Department of Education did not respond to this request.
Responding to Malliki, Gross noted the department started using a reporting system in October 2022 that tracks incidents of school violence.
“It is also a way for us to use as preventative measures so that we can work on corrective and preventative actions to take if there are similar incidents that occur in the future,” she said.
Malliki asked Gross for increased school security in light of the incident he described.
Gross answered that all schools have security cameras which can be reviewed for specific incidents, and invited Malliki to share ideas he has with the department.
There were a total of 245 violent incidents reported at schools across Nunavut between October 2022 and June 2023, according to data provided by the Department of Education.
That includes 78 reports of student-on-student abuse or assault and 70 reports of student-on-staff reports of abuse or assault.
There were 11 student-on-student incidents that were reported as threats and 34 student-on-staff incidents of that nature.
As well, 67 per cent of Nunavut’s schools reported at least one incident. Seventeen per cent of reported incidents resulted in personal injuries, while 12 per cent resulted in calls to the RCMP.
The reporting system only records voluntarily reported data and the department notes there could be duplication because the system doesn’t differentiate between multiple reports for the same incident.
Sorry 34 threats and 70 actual incidents of violence against teachers … even worse
when I was a kid, it was the strap or heavy ruler that kept everyone on line you BH liberals. and look what they are turning out now with lawless schools.
Based on this one comment I’d wager you would have greatly benefited from other teaching methods.
For every 60+ year old who were beaten in class and doing fine, there’s a bunch who struggling badly and severely need therapy (but they won’t because that would be “weak”)
Hmm; And I bet you’re one these parents who run to schools every time your child trips on stairs and look for the culprit. The schools are now really lawless and this contribution is brought in poor legislation and poor parenting. I will not pretend, I grew up in schools during the 60s, good disciplined education system, hard work. I did NOT climb the social ladder like they have today. Hard work….can you prounds it?
Only if you can tell me what prounds means.
Or is that another part of your “good disciplined education system” that us kids these days don’t get?
The only thing beating children teaches children is that it’s ok to assault people if they do something you don’t like.
This can carry through to almost all of their relationships if they can’t break the cycle themselves, including relationships with their own children and intimate partner violence, which is still a huge issue.
If students are assaulting teachers, where did they learn that behaviour? Not the schools, because as as we’ve already established “schools are now really lawless”.
Beaten? It wasn’t beaten, it was punishment for any number of b.s. things we tried to pull. And the nuns knew how to swing the strap. And we hoped they didn’t tell our fathers, because we knew it could be worse.
We learned our lessons fast
We didn’t threaten a teacher or commit violence against them. If anyone did they were expelled and/or the police brought in. And then your parents had some input with us.
These happened very seldom if at all when I was in elementary and high school in the 40,s and 50,s.
Perhaps you can produce official stats about those over 60’s who you suggest are suffering so much.
These kids probably experience violence on a regular basis, in their homes. To suggest that more violence is the answer is ridiculous.
Many of these kids really come from very hard home life, no discipline parents, druggies, and many other things there’re hooked too. Too many broken homes all over. So the kids suffer.
I can assure you that there were bad behaviors when teachers were still allowed to physically assault students.
God help any teacher brave enough to touch any of my kids, for anything.
Teacher here. I would never ever touch your kids. However, your kid touches me, expect swift action using all force that I deem necessary to protect myself. I don’t care if your kid is only 14 or whatever – my safety comes first. I will also be filing a criminal complaint with the RCMP. I’ve learned that the powers in Nunavut don’t are about student inflicted violence.
I have never, in my life, seen the violence that I see in Nunavut schools.
John k; you used assault, it’s the other way around, half of the students are now tugs knowing they cannot be touch. That come from parent’s “safe homes” and that attitude comes into schools each school day; cards all night, booze, drugs. Many of the parents should not have a right to bear children due to their addictions and other ills they harbor. Sad part? Even the legislation cannot solve it, it’s here to stay. Just like poor parents…
and NTI is worried about losing inuk language?
I don’t know who Minister Gross is but she is not impressive. She says schools have a system in place for tracking violence. This system is passive at best. It’s akin to having police track speeders – but not write tickets or enforce the rules. Good luck with that.
Secondly, the MLA asks Minster Gross about improvements. In reply the Minister asks the MLA for suggestions to solve her problem, instead doing her job and solving it herself. Unacceptable.
I hope the MLA keeps driving her for solutions.
If you ask me, the solution is awareness, education and enforcement. Bring awareness to the problem, educate students on the problem, eg., what to do and what not to do, and ultimately bring in discipline or consequences to correct the problem(s).
I am saddened and angry by the impotence of the Minister’s response to this problem. “Hey look, we have a tracking system, we can track the violence!”
Wow, awesome Pamela… that’s so cool. What do you plan to do about the violence you’ve tracked?
The answer, spoken in ‘officialdom’ is that tracking violence will somehow enable the use of “preventative measures so… we can work on corrective and preventative actions to take if there are similar incidents that occur in the future”.
In other words, we aren’t going to do a thing because we don’t know what to do. The tracking system has been in place for 3 years, but we still need more data (that is: violent incidents, medivaced children?) before we can know, because at the moment we have no idea.
Relax though, the tracking of all this violence will somehow fix it, eventually.
Our government has nothing, not a thing…
This has been happening for years in schools serving the Indigenous. Structure, discipline and the the imparting of excitement in education has to start no later than Grade 1. In the extreme undisciplined and unhappy kids trash or burn down schools. As in Cape Dorset.
Doesn’t the violence start in the home? So the education system alone cannot solve the problem. Tracking is not a solution but it is necessary to demonstrate the magnitude of the problem and it apparently did not take place before; if it started 3 years ago, it is still a new thing for a long term problem, not the solution but part of raising awareness for society. Violent discipline as is recommended by someone above is not something we should go back to, but there are options to demonstrate authority and instill respect that involve kids/youth and teachers not interacting as if they are buddies. For kids who live in violence at home that won’t help; they need a safe home; that is a problem beyond the school.
Whether anyone agrees with me or not, doesn’t bother me.
Lack of respect in the schools started with dropping Mr, Mrs, or sir, ma’am was step one.
We all know It’s not the childrens fault for this happening in all schools in every community. Same with Attendance.
The attendance seen in the schools in Nunavut is shocking to say the least. And the speed or lack thereof that the students cover material is the result. I asked my daughter recently what she was doing in math lately and to hear that grade 2 kids are still doing counting to 20 and doing simply patterns is just not right. They have to cover that stuff AGAIN because 1/3 of the class didn’t show up last year. The schools have to stop punishing the kids that put the effort in because of the poor attendance of some of the kids.
It will only hurt the territory in the long run. It’s time to find a better solution.
The damage is already done and it’s going to take an overwhelming effort to right it. This territory is 24 years old. That’s enough time for a Nunavut born and raised kid to go through school, high school, university, and become a teacher. Where are they?
Dysfunctional kids acting out reflect dysfunctional families. You can’t solve those problems in the schools alone. Teachers are not social workers or cops, and discipline has both legal and practical limits.
The Bible calls for disobedient children to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). Turning schools into boot camps won’t solve the problems either. The unfortunate answer is that it will take more resources than are ever likely to be available in the North, but nobody wants to admit that.
It’s not a new problem, in Nunavut or elsewhere.
Gee, Officer Krupke,
What are we to do?
Why blaming the Government, the Minister, the department of Education? What about the parents? It should be their responsibility to raise their children properly. Teach them the IQ values, teach them right from wrong. You cannot expect that schools prepare the children for life. Many skills have to be learned at home.
Every day that my wife would spend in a class room was a day I spent worried about her safety. The amount of comfort I am able to take from the fact she no longer teaches is sort of outrageous.
I believe violence starts at home; might be due to the fact they see adults fighting. video games they might play, Facebook or TikTok post? All these are factors in one’s action.
I did not grow up with access to the cell phone as they weren’t invented yet, If I wanted to write an email, I had to send it via post office, or even call long distance, (if it was allowed). I played sports, watched black and white movies, Three’s Company, Facts of Life, Wrestling.
If we heard any news, it was likely a month old, not spare of a second. As my parents didn’t discuss anything a child shouldn’t know or didn’t need to know.
If my mom or dad ever heard that I had raised a hand against a teacher or any other authority figure that would have likely been the last stupid thing that I would have done on this earth. Values, ethics and morals are instilled in the home and modelled in the community and we can all see what is happening in Nunavut right now.
> and modelled in the community and we can all see what is happening in Nunavut right now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory
> In criminology, the broken windows theory states that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes.
Idk about your community, but EVERY SINGLE BUILDING in mine has a broken window
This is a very important observation. Our communities are filled with dilapidated homes, vehicles and junk all over. Environments like this make mental wellness a huge challenge, at best. At worst, well… as you said.
I couldn’t agree more with this. Being surrounded by filth and squalor is toxic for the soul. It’s impossible to keep a positive outlook when you’re surrounded by yards that look like landfills, signs of vandalism and dilapidated buildings. And kudos on the use of a Tragically Hip lyric…
How can you expect to have any kind of a functioning education system. When teachers are threaten. Students are afraid to go school. Because fellow students are going to harm them. May be it’s time to give up the self governance exprearament. And go back to a traditional life style.
The current system is failing and corrupt.
Violence stems from Children not having a safe peaceful home life, kids only demonstrate what they see and hear. They are like sponges, they soak up their surroundings. If mom and dad are beating each other or the kids, then that’s what they know, the kids see that that is how to solve problems. Parents need to learn to deal with life’s issues without raising their fists and they need to give more hugs to their children and teach them right from wrong.
Do they not expel students anymore? This may be the time, or for a year?? I hope the kids parents are held accountable for such a terrible act. Can’t imagine what the parents are feeling for their child who was hurt. What’s going on Naujaat?? Children are learning this somewhere, enough. Teach your kids to be kind, my grandparents always taught me to be kind to others. What is going on with this young generation. Inuit commit suicide because of bullying, it’s typically from other Inuit too. Enough.
I do not recall an IQ principle for beating the crap out of someone.
When a member of an Inuit community was so disruptive to the others, what did Inuit do with the problem individual? Was exile a thing? I’m not saying bring back exile, but the shame surrounding it should make a comeback.
I’ve been spying with my eye for long periods and years how many in northern society prey upon the weak and vulnerable. It’s evident everywhere up in the great white north land. Seen elders preyed upon, kids prey upon by adults and other kids who only take advantage. The jails are fully of these predators. Next time you hear about such violence, I invite you to learn about how we have scum that prey on the weak. Yes it’s learnt from home and from the many other predators around.
I was getting gas by the Beer store last week and an old man who was kinda drunk was walking from the Beer store, he dropped his beer on the ground. I seen a woman rush to help, but she helped herself to his beer (took 5 or 6) and run off, while she was taking his beer, the old man was looking at her and a young guy came behind him and grabbed a box (6 beer in a box) and he took off while the man was roaring at him and the young guy laughed at the old guy and walked away with the beer. Those 2 people have no respect for anyone, they just robbed the guy and didn’t think twice about it.
when i was young, the teacher would just yell once, twice or 3 time at the most and we all stop. I never got hit by any teacher before, they were all nice to me, except for one fat female teacher who’s kindahad anger toward us student. I never forgot that one lol, they were all civilian teacher except 2 nuns one nun was very nice and the other one mean. but again, no pain or physical punishment.
Keeping ones’ head down hoping things may miraculously improve won’t fix anything. There is strength in numbers. Speak up in numbers where you see bad behavior to let the misbehaving know that there are limits.
Gross does not reply to any concerns, complaints or any issues. I wrote letters but no action was taken.
This is sadly not new for Tuugaalik High School. There have been so many violent incidents student vs. student and student vs. staff. Look in the archives, two stand out in 2019 alone.
It starts with leadership. There is poor administration at that school, and a poor ED who does nothing for those students or the educators. That place is crying for an intervention, and certainly a new principal but nothing changes.
In the end, it’s the students and kids who suffer sadly.
it depends on the situation. alot has to do with generational trauma.
For my adult offspring he was getting taunted, gaslighted by 2 former teacher and former principal. he is so very lucky that a fellow student was nearby to witness him “assault” a teacher. When a lawyer requested the footage there was mysteriously no camera footage of those minutes that this incident occurred.