All-day kindergarten is coming to seven more Nunavut communities: Gjoa Haven, Grise Fiord, Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuaq, Resolute Bay, Sanikiluaq, and Taloyoak.
This expansion will help more students build the foundational skills and knowledge base “in important areas such as Inuit culture and language, literacy, numeracy, as well as physical and social-emotional wellness,” Education Minister Pamela Gross said in the legislative assembly on Feb. 22.
The original full-day kindergarten pilot program was launched in five schools during the 2023-2024 school year. It was the first step to help guide a comprehensive rollout across the territory. Next year, an additional phase will begin in the aforementioned seven communities.
“I am proud to say,” commented Gross, “[they] have all received motions of approval from their local DEAs.”
The minister added that in “collaboration with our partners, we are developing a long-term plan for the sustainable implementation of full-day kindergarten that will address the additional infrastructure and human resource needs for additional Nunavut schools. Due to the anticipated high cost of renovations for some schools, further rollouts will be more gradual.
“We know the benefits full-day kindergarten brings to students, families, and communities. That’s why I look forward to continuing our work and collaboration with schools, teachers, and district education authorities to bring full-day kindergarten to all our communities,” Gross concluded.