Quebec government education stats misleading?

On August 20, 2004, the Nunatsiaq News published an article entitled ‘Nunavik students lag behind southern counterparts.’

Apart from the frustration inherent when comparing apples and oranges, there were several inaccuracies which the KSB would like to point out:

Nunatsiaq News wrote:

‘Almost every child is enrolled in elementary school, but many are already a year or two behind when they get to secondary school.’

* The fact is, Nunavik students attend Grade 7 before going into Secondary 1. In the South, students go from Grade 6 to Secondary 1.

‘In 2002-3, there were 2,963 students from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 6, but only 832 students enrolled at the secondary grades.’

* In fact, 2,964 students represents the global enrollment for that year.
* In 2002-3, there were 2,131 students enrolled in the elementary grades (Kindergarten to Grade 7), and 833 students enrolled at the secondary levels.
* Also, there is no pre-K at the Kativik School Board.
* In addition, close to 100 per cent of our students go from Grade 7 to Secondary 1.

‘The overall dropout rate is three times higher than in the South.’

• Where in the South? Even in the South, the rates change according to region.

• The statistics that are referred to in the article calculate the number of graduating students up to 18 years of age. Many of our students graduate from secondary school after the age of 18.

While the statistics as cited are dismal within themselves, the fact that many of them were presented incorrectly or without benefit of qualification is unfortunate. Our Director of Education Services, Gaston Pelletier, was available to speak with Ms. George, had she taken the time to do so.

It is frustrating and unfair to compare the Kativik School Board with other school boards in Quebec. Our students begin learning in a second language only in Grade 3. Despite tremendous progress, there is still not the range of post-secondary opportunities in Nunavik that exist in the South.

The Quebec ministry of education cites in its ‘Education Statistics Bulletin’ (1998) that the geographical isolation of most aboriginal communities, and the fact that school in its present form is not part of the tradition of the aboriginal peoples, doubtlessly have an impact on scholastic results.

Much fairer to our students, and to the school board as a whole would be for the MEQ to simply monitor our progress. When we compare how much better our students are doing this year than five, 10 or even 20 years ago, then we know that there has been real progress.

In theory, the educational opportunities for all Quebecers are supposed to be equal. Despite the best intentions in the world, the different socio-economic challenges faced by our young people can’t help but impact on other areas of their lives, including school.

Education must be valued by society, and children must be encouraged to go to school and be supported in every way possible. When this happens, we won’t have to bemoan an article which paints Nunavik scholastic results in a less than complimentary light.

Sarah Aloupa
Kativik School Board

Editor’s note: The statistics and opinions quoted in the aforementioned article are not ours. They’re contained in two reports recently published by the Quebec government. If the KSB has problems with those reports, we would suggest that they send a similar letter to the Quebec ministry of education.