IQALUIT - Principals and District Education Authority members from across Nunavut met in Iqaluit earlier this month to discuss what the new Nunavut Education Act will mean - and how to make it work.

The three-day workshop was well worth it said one participant, Gary Kennedy, who is the principal of the high school in Kugluktuk.

Not only were educators in the territory given a chance to sift through the information-heavy act, they were also given a rare chance to share ideas face-to-face, he said.

"We, being the principals, don't always get a chance to get together every year. I find the collaboration and sharing that goes on (when we do) is valuable," said Kennedy.

His counterpart, Lucy Taipana, Kugluktuk's elementary school principal, shared the sentiment, saying it was good to get people together from each of the territory's three regions and allow them to share ideas in the language of their choice.

Both principals said they were excited about the act, which was implemented in July and outlines changes embracing Inuit societal values. Of many things, it promises to have completely bilingual education in schools by 2019.

With such widespread change, Nunavummiut will have a busy time ahead of them, said Kennedy and Taipana.

"It's going to be a lot of work, but I think it's going to be excellent work to be doing," said Kennedy.

In order for changes in the act to succeed, the whole community has to support them, not just the schools, added Taipana.

Eventually, the schools will hold community meetings, she said, but before that they'll also make local radio announcements, send out newsletters and mail out information packages. The plan is to have an education awareness night, she said.

"It is going to take a lot of work ... to really get that information out to the community members and to have the community members buy into this," she said.

But it's important work for the entire community, said Nunavut Education Minister Louis Tapardjuk.

"I would like to remind community members that education starts at home and it doesn't end at 3:30 in the afternoon," he said. "Educating young Nunavummiut is our collective responsibility."

Tapardjuk added it's important the territory turns the tide with the number of high school graduates.

"We need parents, guardians and family members to commit to encouraging kids to succeed in classroom education for a stronger Nunavut in the future," he added.

The GN first tried to implement a Nunavut Education Act in 2003, but it was nixed after a standing committee found enough flaws with it to send it back to the drawing board.

The success the second time around was the result of much more consultation, said Tapardjuk.

"The division and the Department of Education worked tirelessly with community, staff, parents, elders, education partners to create something that was truly reflective of Nunavummiut," he said.