Nathan VankerKlippe
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Dec 03/01) - Hoping to fill the widening cracks in Iqaluit's schools, the District Education Authority is considering standardized tests.

Chair Kathy Smith said recently that the tests would merely pinpoint structural failings rather than single out particular teachers or grades.

The main challenge, she said, is integrating non-native English speakers into the unilingual English high school. Students in the existing lower schools' Inuktitut stream are expected to be sufficiently competent in English by the Grade 8 or 9 level.

"But that's probably not the case," she said. "We're hoping that this testing could identify (a more proper level for full integration) for us."

The language disparity becomes especially troublesome in large classes of students of different fluency levels crammed together with one teacher, who must try to cater to each of their needs.

These difficulties are partially to blame for the current problem with the high school's Grade 10 class, which each September welcomes 120 students, but passes only 50 in June.

The DEA has already submitted a request to the Department of Education, asking for a statement of interest or support. It has not yet received a response, but Smith vows to seek alternative funding if the government does not come through.

Both Nunavut and the NWT use a modified Alberta curriculum. Nunavut has never used standardized testing, but the NWT has developed testing materials that Smith hopes to use.

The plan has yet to proceed beyond the conceptual stage. Cost and schedules are unknown and some officials are still reluctant to discuss it.

"There are pluses and there are minuses but I would prefer not to make any comments before it's actually appropriate," said Nakasuk school principal Michael Luedicke.

Peter Geikie, principal of the middle school, said only that the idea is worth examining, but has risks.

"We need to remember that many of our children are working in a second language and the testing should reflect that," he said. "I just want to make sure that this is going to benefit students and the schools and the parents."

Standardized testing is not an entirely new idea for the area. It was bandied about three years ago, and some headway made. However, with the creation of Nunavut and a new crop of faces on the DEA, the plan was shelved.

Smith said she recognizes the challenge of implementing the testing, but also sees potential benefits.

"Maybe there's things we can change in our basic structure that will address some of the problems we experience in our schools," she said.