Section Index

Education in Northern Canada

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Nunavut focuses on education   Apprenticeship board trains 200   Portable classroom   $100 million investment in young minds   Training a new Northern workforce

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Nunavut focuses on education

Teaching language, retaining culture top priorities for educators

With the youngest average population in Canada, education is big business in Nunavut.

It will grow even larger as young people surge into the labour market. Nunavut's population is projected to grow by 17 per cent over the next decade.

These Grade 1 and 2 students from Qaqqalik school have been busy getting ready for Christmas Here they prepare door decorations for their classroom. They won some Christmas cookies for their efforts. - photo courtesy of Ed Flynn In 2002-2003 the Nunavut Government spent about $172 million on education - about 25 per cent of the territory's annual budget. Operations and maintenance claimed $152,549,000 and $19,500,000 went to capital projects.

Inuktitut is a cornerstone of Inuit culture and a key priority of Nunavut's education system. Inuktitut is taught in most community schools during the first three or four grades, depending on the number of Inuit teachers available. Some communities, like Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet, are able to teach kindergarten to Grade 6 in Inuktitut.

The territory supports a specialized Nunavut Education Teachers Program for Inuit instructors. Inuit Quajimajatuqangit principles are being developed into a new curriculum.

Community schools

Nunavut uses the Alberta High School program for grades 10 to 12 for students planning to go on to university, but graduation requirements are set in Nunavut.

Nunavut has not had any problems attracting generalist teachers despite the Canada-wide shortage of experienced Math and Science teachers.

Pay scales for teachers are competitive with other Northern jurisdictions. Salaries range from $41,817 to $79,377. Teachers also receive annual Northern allowances between $1,862 and $17,103 depending on where they locate.

There are 42 primary public schools in Nunavut with an enrollment of 8,544 students. Every community has at least one school with kindergarten to Grade 12 - some communities have more schools depending on the size.

There are no private schools in Nunavut but the Academy of Learning, a privately-owned college based out of Yellowknife, provides some courses in the territory.

-Updated August 2003