Minister challenges 'misconceptions' of bill to amend Nunavut education and language acts

Nunavut's Education Minister David Joanasie had words for recent advertisements in local media and the public on Monday, when he stood to clarify his department's goal to gradually rollout Inuktut curriculum for all grades and subject matter between now and 2039. 

Bill 25, an Act to Amend the Education Act and Inuit Language Protection Act, is on hold for the current sitting of Nunavut's Legislative Assembly, after MLAs decided last week to extend their ongoing review of the bill.

But following question period Feb. 24, Joanasie stood to make a special speech, called a point of privilege, about the bill. In that speech, he aimed to educate on misrepresentations he said were made about the department's efforts to fully implement Inuktut as a language of instruction. 

He said it is an error to say that Bill 25 will block or delay the use of Inuktut in Nunavut's education system. 

"This could not be further from the truth," he said. "My department is delivering Inuktut as a language of instruction in Nunavut classrooms, and will continue to do so."

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Coalition of Nunavut District Education Authorities are against the bill. 

While the act says Inuktut will be a full language of instruction within 19 years, that doesn't mean students will have to wait that long, he said. 

"The proposed timelines in the bill will not delay Inuktut language instruction until 2039. In fact, under Bill 25's proposed schedule, my department will be required to produce the curricula and resources as soon as possible, not just by the end of the deadlines," he said.

'No intention of blocking Inuktut'  

Joanasie called the bill a "well-thought-out-plan" and said the department is making new curriculum all the time to get to its goal sooner. 

"My department committed not only to the timelines proposed in Bill 25 for Inuktut language arts curricula, but also for all core courses," he said. "While the review of Bill 25 is still underway and in the hands of the Standing Committee on Legislation, it is important that Nunavummiut understand that there is no intention of blocking Inuktut in our education system in any way."

The department is working now on curriculum for health, physical education and social studies for Kindergarten through to Grade 6, and will start soon on curriculum for mathematics and science for those grades next. 

"They will be implemented into classroom instruction as they are completed," Joanasie said. 

The department says it already has Inuktut health and wellness curriculum for high school students, social studies curriculum for Grade 10, and Inuktut language arts curriculum for Grade 7 to Grade 9. 

There are also Inuktut high school units on tourism, entrepreneurship, communications and applied physics. 

The bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Legislation in June of 2019. The committee held public hearings for the bill in November, and as of Feb. 18 has another 120 day extension to finish its review of the bill. 

Joanasie said there is a need for more teachers and more support from parents.