EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Further, I want to encourage the minister to provide more materials for our Inuktitut language teachers so that they can teach more courses in Inuktitut.
It is incumbent upon us to increase the numbers of Inuit teachers as well. I am just stating this as a comment.
However, I’ll turn to another subject that Mr. Enook referenced earlier related to social passing based on whether they have passed certain subjects or failed at others. The minister stated earlier that the Department of Education doesn’t have a policy on that, but it may occur. I asked earlier about how the department determines whether or not social passing is being practised.
Does it start with the parent or the student? If the parents feel their child has been socially passed, what avenue do they have?
Perhaps I should reference the higher grades, for example, grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, which is based on the Alberta curriculum and exams. I wonder if Alberta could conduct the examinations. If a parent felt that their child is not progressing, can they request Alberta testing?
If a parent suspects their child is in that situation, can they request that their child get further testing? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I didn’t quite grasp his latter question and I don’t understand it, but I want to respond to it, although I know he can rephrase it.
Nonetheless, I would like to add this to his comment.
It is related to the courses offered at Arctic College. We also work with the (interpretation ends) University of Regina (interpretation) as we also have to comply with their requirements.
However, while they are taking this program, there are three different Inuktitut dialects used as the basis for their courses and they also use three different Inuit cultures. They are included in the curriculum for teacher education.
Furthermore, it allows us to plan properly on teaching both Inuit language and culture and how it as to be properly used within all of our schools in Nunavut. This is how it is set up. We have conducted studies on this.
As per my earlier statement, perhaps I can also state that only some of the students prefer to take courses in English to teach in that language. It is a small percentage.
The rest of the students would teach in Inuktitut. However, as I stated earlier, we are carefully reviewing how to provide an Inuktitut cultural or (interpretation ends) bilingual education (interpretation) in both English and Inuktitut so that they can teach in both languages.
This is why we are studying this aspect.
I didn’t get the last part of his question related to the Alberta curriculum. I didn’t get that part about returning something.
Perhaps he can rephrase that part of his question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
To use an example, a student who is in grade 11 is required to pass an exam prior to moving up to the next grade. I was referring to the testing or (interpretation ends) examination (interpretation) process.
As I recall, they had to order the exams from Alberta and sent to Nunavut, and then the students write their exams. Upon completion, I think the exams are sent to Alberta. I believe that is the case where they are then marked.
The exams would determine whether or not the student has been socially promoted.
I think the process was changed. If I recall correctly, the exams are marked and the percentage includes the exam portion and their school subject marks.
The percentage allocated to the exam, I believe, has been changed. I wonder if this can be studied further.
That is what I am trying to get at here. If a student felt they were behind or if the parent feels they are being socially promoted, can they request the exams to see if that is the case? What I wanted to know is if parents have any recourse to remedy that.
That is what I am trying to get at.
We are using the Alberta curriculum, as you stated.
We are following the Alberta model and that is how the process is run.
I am sorry. In 2015-16 Alberta made a request that any jurisdiction following their curriculum at 50 percent was lowered to 30 percent, if I understand that. It was changed from 50 percent to 30 percent.
Currently about 70 percent of their exam marks and 30 percent of the Nunavut... .
As an example, the two numbers are 70 percent and 30 percent… . I am reciting too many numbers and confusing myself, so I apologize.
What it states here is that 70 percent is the school mark (interpretation ends) provided by the teacher and 30 percent exam mark. (interpretation) That is how it is written if the member grasps those numbers, as I believe he asked what the ratio was.
With regard to his other question, yes, since we follow the Alberta curriculum for all exams, the exams are submitted to Alberta for their marks to be determined.
The examinations are marked in the south and they are sent to our department.
Currently we are trying to change the directive on exactly how the tests in the schools are marked, or (interpretation ends) school marks, (interpretation) and the marks from the Department of Education.
Perhaps I’ll state this in English if you don’t mind. (interpretation ends) The department is developing a directive on the proper analysis of school marks versus departmental exam marks with the aim towards improving student success and ensuring accountability.
(interpretation) I believe I responded to the question.
I also thank you for the response. I know he’s trying to help us understand it.
I just want to see how else we can improve it.
Let me move on to a different topic. There is the social promotion issue and there is another issue that I have brought up in the past that I will talk about a little bit first before I ask the question.
With respect to language education in the schools and the fact that it was said that the Inuit language is not to be used in the school, I talked about it in the House here at one point. You have said that you don’t have a policy on that and the local DEA in Cape Dorset has no policy on that either. However, it may exist like social promotion.
It may just be a pattern that people follow when it comes to language use in the classroom.
If a student is learning English language arts, let’s say, in the morning from 10:30 until noon, during that class, would it be necessary to tell them to not speak in Inuktitut?
I hope I’m making sense with what I’m trying to say.
What is the Department of Education’s position on this?
Anyone can use their own language in our schools, whether they speak English, Inuktitut, or French.
We also have teachers that don’t understand Inuktitut at all.
If the student is speaking Inuktitut, the unilingual English-speaking teacher will not understand the student and that occurs.
They’re not supposed to tell them, “Don’t speak Inuktitut.”
However, if the teacher can’t understand the student, then the teacher may think the student is saying bad things about the teacher.
Maybe the teacher at that point would tell the student to say the same thing in English.
I’m sure they can do that.
They probably do that in the school with some of our students.
I can say that Inuktitut, English, and French can be used in the school.
Nobody will stop you from speaking your mother tongue. Let us all be aware that some people do no understand both languages.
I hope I answered the question properly. According to our Education Act, it is bilingual education. They can learn two languages.
Following that, no one should be stopped if they’re speaking any of the three languages.
I hope I responded to the question properly.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Education.
Policy and Planning. Following the list of names, Mr. Akoak.
Welcome to the minister and staff.
Earlier my colleague, Ms. Angnakak, was asking questions on child daycare.
She had asked what the waiting list was for Iqaluit.
Do you have a waiting list for Gjoa Haven?
I don’t see the figure here in front of me, but I will look for it so that we will know.
We don’t have a breakdown of the communities at the moment, but I can say that for all of Nunavut, right now there are 841 names that we have on the waiting list.
We don’t have the breakdown per community, but we have it for all of Nunavut.
We’re aware that there are 19 daycare facilities in the communities.
Looking at the plan, Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Gjoa Haven, and Igloolik don’t have daycares right now, but they have preschools.
For Gjoa Haven right now, I’m sure they have a list of people who have requested daycare space, which is what they normally do in the communities.
I don’t have the figure for Gjoa Haven as I only have the figures for the whole of Nunavut.
I can look into this and get back to the member.
For daycare spaces, we do have a daycare in the school in Gjoa Haven which is not operational. Would he give us a time that it will be operational?
The Department of Education is always interested in working with daycare societies, but let us remember that daycare societies need to have proper society status before they can proceed.
I can’t say right now if their society status is in good standing or if it has expired.
I’m not really sure about that.
However, if there is a daycare society in Gjoa Haven, we can work with them.
The Department of Education has staff dedicated to daycares.
I can’t tell you when it will be opening, but whenever the people in the community are ready to proceed with it, we can provide operating funds right away.
That’s how it is. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you for the response. I believe they do have a daycare society, but because of bad management in the past, that’s why they are stuck. They are trying to find funds to pay for some unpaid bills, I guess I can say.
Would there be any way that your department would be able to help them to start up a new society?
Like I said, yes, the department is always ready to assist any groups in the community that want to start a daycare. If their society status is not up to par, that group can start a new society. Once they start that, we can certainly give them a start-up fund.
If it’s a society in good standing, we can do that. If the one you’re talking about doesn’t have a good standing on their society status, they can always get a new society status. (interpretation) That’s all.
It’s good to hear because we have some students that leave their babies at home, but I’m happy that they’re given a chance to be able to go back to their home and feed their child during school hours, and then they would get back to the classroom.
Daycare is very important.
Going on to another, you talked about Inuit employment by my colleague, Mr. Joanasie, for school counsellors. I’m asking: what qualifications do they have?
Do they have qualifications in line with a mental health worker or below that?
With respect to what my colleague is talking about, we have different unions like NTA that we work with. There’s the NEU. You may be talking about the NEU.
We just had some recent graduates for school counsellors. We just had some completing their training and we expect them to get on line.
As I stated earlier, they work under different unions.
In the previous year for student counsellors, mental health and trauma, we just had a major professional development course on those areas. I have some big expectations of those being used in the school.
I hope I responded to the question and if I didn’t respond, I can try again.
School counsellors are always looking after the children in the school when they have problems.
I was asking, for qualifications, would they recognize if that child is having trouble at home? Would that be recognized?
Would he be having problems with another student within the school, are they trained enough to recognize that kind of a situation?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Yes, they should and that’s how it is. (interpretation) They recognize the situation, if that’s what you’re asking. (interpretation ends) They are trained to do as such.
Our student support counsellors are very capable in doing their work within all our schools.
Yes, they would be recognized.
All our schools are, again, bound by law to report any suspected abuse. As I said, all our support staff are very professionally trained and will do their work to ensure that all our students are well, safe, healthy, and being there every day. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
If the school counsellor feels the situation is over and above what the counsellor can handle, would the school counsellor then send the student to a mental health worker or anywhere else?
That would be my last question.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): They are very helpful in our schools and they need to identify everything in detail.
Yes, that’s exactly it, (interpretation ends) if the child or the student needs mental health assistance.
Again, we need to ensure that the parents are very aware of what is happening.
That is one of the things that we want to ensure, that the student support counsellor knows what they’re doing. Again, the parents are notified and they have to agree to that first before anything can happen. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
My colleague, Mr. Shooyook, is always talking about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
With the school counsellor, is there room for a school counsellor to seek help from an elder within the community?
Yes, indeed, because education is based on Inuit traditional knowledge and culture, which we call Inuit societal values. It is based on Inuit societal values.
Yes, they can seek the advice of an elder. (interpretation ends) Yes, they can. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman: Thank you. Education. Policy and Planning.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you for allowing me to ask questions again.
I would like to go back to a question I asked earlier for clarification.
I may be the only one who doesn’t understand, but that’s okay.
When the minister and I were talking about evaluating students and the Alberta system, I said many of us in Nunavut believe there is social passing because some students who graduate don’t really know how to read or write. Even though they have graduated from grade 12, they may have problems with literacy.
We know many students who are quite capable, but it seems like many of the students who have graduated from grade 12 are not at grade 12 literacy levels.
I think I understand clearly that we are using the Alberta system for testing students’ knowledge.
The question I asked was: since we’re using the Alberta system, is Alberta experiencing the same problems with their students?
Do they have the same issues with their education system or with their students?
Minister, you responded by saying that you’re unable to respond to that question because you only deal with the education system in Nunavut.
One thing that I do not understand is we have the same evaluation process and you stated that the same testing is used. I would think then, if that is the case, Alberta would have the same problems.
In Nunavut the Education Act states that we will offer bilingual education.
Alberta does not offer bilingual education, so that is where the difference occurs.
We have bilingual education in Nunavut in English and Inuktitut. In Alberta it is only in English. That is where the difference occurs with the two.
NWT is using the Alberta curriculum as well.
That is where the difference is for students who have grade 12. We have a bilingual education system in Nunavut, but I’m sure that in Alberta it is only offered in English.
That is where the difference is occurring, but they are using the same exams or tests.
In the past we called them testing.
They have those exams and they use the same exam process as the NWT.
We can look into what the situation is in the Northwest Territories.
Let us be aware that one of the reasons is that a student should be attending classes daily as long as they are not sick. This is not always the case. Students should be attending school to learn how to read and write.
That’s the only thing that I can say. Parents should encourage their children to go to school.
I agree with my colleague that not all students are like that.
Some students are very good and we have seen young people who are very capable.
All of our students can be just as capable.
We have a bilingual education system in Nunavut. (interpretation ends) By the way (interpretation) I would like to say that I’m not overly concerned about the Northwest Territories at this point because we wanted to get the Nunavut territory so that we can set up our own system.
I’m not overly concerned about the education system of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you for negotiating Nunavut so that we can start making our own decisions and govern ourselves.
Are you not saying that bilingual education is impeding the students’ learning?
It’s okay if you respond either way.
I keep thinking that whether we are using bilingual education or unilingual education, if there’s one examination process, I’m sure there’s a standardized rule where you can pass to another grade level after completing a certain number of credits.
If I had 40 percent, I don’t think I should be passed onto another grade.
The Alberta curriculum is based on a unilingual education system and we are using a bilingual education system. Even though that is the case, the exam is the same.
With that standardized rule, how is it that those who are not at the required level are passed to the next grade level?
I’m quite confused about that.
Yes, I appreciate my colleague wants to understand this clearer.
Before our policy changes, we’re going to be following the Alberta curriculum. I believe I alluded to it earlier that 30 percent and 70 percent are two percentages used for exams.
One is for the Nunavut exam and the other one is for the Alberta exam.
Mr. Chairman, through you, I would like my deputy minister to explain in detail in response to the question.
With respect to the minister’s comments in regard to 70 percent and 30 percent, we just follow the Alberta system.
Firstly we would use the written exam at 50 percent and the school testing for a whole year, the credits that are required usually are at 50 percent.
In Alberta last year they made changes to the examination process of their students and we just followed through because we know as Nunavut that we can’t come up with a new exam that can be recognized by colleges and universities.
We just follow the Alberta system.
For example, 70 percent is for a whole year of the curriculum. The teacher can make the education plan of the student for nine months of the year. For a whole month they would do an examination or testing of the student’s knowledge level and ask questions about the projects that have to completed within the school, including specific literature they are required to complete reading, as this can determine the level up to 70 percent and how it would be broken down.
As you stated earlier, the student who wrote the exam and received a 40 percent mark, you asked how this student would be treated. If the student only receives a 40 percent mark, as an example 30 percent of his 40 percent mark would be included and written as 30 percent of their marks. That is what happens.
Even if a student gets an 85 percent mark on their (interpretation ends) test exam mark, (interpretation) only 30 percent of that mark is included in their overall mark.
I am not sure if that is understandable.
(interpretation ends) How the school mark is determined is we have a 70 percent school mark and a 30 percent exam mark. If they get an 85 percent on their exam, that 85 percent is only worth 30 percent of their mark. With their class mark, let’s say they get a class mark of 50 percent, then that class mark is worth 70 percent of their overall mark, and then that mark is combined to get the overall mark. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Minister Quassa, do you know that (interpretation ends) one plus one is three?
(interpretation) I’m not a mathematician; I am totally confused with those numbers that you’re referring to.
I’m sure it makes a lot sense, but I just don’t get it.
At the end of the day I just want to know no matter what the marks are set at, would the students who complete grade 12 have the same equivalency and be able to read and write at a grade 12 level?
They have to. Again, it is up to the student. They are not all at the same level.
I think it’s like that all over the place, even at the office. It’s the same thing at the schools. There are different levels of proficiency.
I would just like to add that we say we use the Alberta curriculum.
I think I can say last year I had a meeting in Yellowknife with the NWT Minister of Education and the Minister of Education for Alberta, and we agreed at that time that Alberta is looking at new curriculum, so this is going to be the first time that we’re going to be involved while they’re developing the new Alberta curriculum requirements. Maybe we could make changes so that it is more Nunavut friendly.
The Northwest Territories, Alberta, and Nunavut are working together on developing the new Alberta curriculum, and I look forward to making the Alberta curriculum more Nunavut friendly.
I look forward to seeing a new and improved curriculum.
With the new Alberta curriculum that is being proposed, would we see more Nunavut friendly materials and it will be used both in Alberta and Nunavut?
We indicated that if Nunavut is involved in drafting up the Alberta curriculum, we would look at the culture and geographical location of Nunavut because at times the Alberta curriculum is a bit foreign to be used up here.
With our involvement, we would like to include Inuit culture because of the larger percentage of Inuit up here. We would like to see more of that in the Alberta curriculum. We are going to be working closely together with the Province of Alberta.
Maybe once the new Alberta curriculum is out and utilized, we will ask more questions.
I would like to move on to another subject regarding bilingual education.
Having Inuit instructors or teachers is sometimes quite hard.
I don’t know for sure or maybe the government doesn’t believe us, but the Inuktitut teachers always have a very hard time or have very limited curriculum or teaching tools.
Usually to date they create their own teaching tools.
I don’t know whether I heard this on the media, but I hear that we have limited Inuktitut teachers.
You have said that and we all know that.
The Nunavut Tunngavik President, Ms. Kotierk, was being interviewed and she said that part of the problem, if I understood her correctly, is that the Inuit teachers do not want to teach using the Inuktitut language because there are no resources, tools, or curriculum.
You’re not providing that to them.
First of all I can say that it was like that a long time ago, but it’s not the case today.
Once computers were introduced, we started utilizing the Internet more.
There are 300 Inuktitut publications produced and we are still producing more.
If we look at the past three years, we have made 300 publications in Inuktitut to be available to the Inuktitut teachers.
We have produced several versions and are developing more course materials. We also sent a directive that teachers should not have to produce their own curriculum.
They have to focus on teaching their subjects and should not develop curriculum. They have to be available.
This is what I continue to push as a priority.
Further, as per my earlier comments, more course materials are being produced, with quite a number of books.
As a matter of fact, just last week we launched new Inuktitut curriculum material.
Ever since 2014-15, which I think I already mentioned, literacy initiatives in Inuktitut have been produced.
Perhaps I already mentioned this, but the material is for our teachers at (interpretation ends) levels 1 to 11 and levels 12 to 14 (interpretation) that will be completed in this calendar year.
Furthermore, to date there are now ten books that will be distributed to all schools in Nunavut. (interpretation ends) Each level consists of ten student books, two assessment books, and three take-home books. (interpretation) These are just examples and although I stated them in English, I just wanted to make that clear.