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RANKIN INLET
Parents of a Rankin Inlet youth have given up legal guardianship of their son, so he can live with his grandfather in Winnipeg, in order to graduate with an academic diploma.

Cameron Emiktowt studies a bird identification book during an ecotourism workshop outside of Arviat last month. Emiktowt is training to become an ecotourism guide. - photo courtesy of Wes Werbowy

Seventeen-year-old Brandon Oolooyuk went to register for classes at Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik last week, only to find out that there are only two academic classes being offered to Grade 12 students this year: English and social studies.

Oolooyuk, who is set to graduate in 2012, wants to become an engineer. In order to get into the engineering program at the University of Manitoba without first taking upgrading courses, he needs academic math, physics, chemistry and English in his final year of high school.

Oolooyuk has been in the academic stream since Grade 9 and doesn't want to upgrade when he goes to university next year. Upon seeing his limited course options, he brought the timetable home to his parents.

Oolooyuk's father, Bob Oolooyuk, said the only option was to send him down south to get a proper education. And in order to register him in a school, Oolooyuk's parents had to give up their legal guardianship to Oolooyuk's grandfather.

"It's maddening, upsetting, to go to that extreme to get my kids educated," said Bob Oolooyuk. "I don't like the fact that we have to send him away, but he has his heart set on excelling and going somewhere and getting a good job at the end of it."

Peter Geikie, assistant deputy minister of education, said parents have other options.

"It's a case of working closely with the school principal and looking at the courses the student might need and seeing if they can match it with what the school offers and some other alternatives, like distance learning.

"That's something I would strongly recommend to a parent first."

Bob Oolooyuk said distance learning just isn't a valid option.

"Tell me how a Grade 12 student can do distance education? You need in-class help," he said.

Jesse Payne, principal of MUI, said getting academic classes depends on a lot of factors, including whether enough students pass the requirements to enrol in a class. There also has to be enough interest in a class for it to be worth teaching.

"We can't offer it for one student," he said, noting that it becomes viable if five or six students show interest.

Payne said it is possible for students to graduate with five academic Grade 12 courses and it has been done, but he noted that Nunavut's education system is set up to be completed in four years, not three.

Oolooyuk is now in Winnipeg and has been enrolled in Sturgeon Heights Collegiate.

Bob Oolooyuk said all that he wants is for his son to succeed.

"I'm only doing what I have to do to help him," he said. "I can't sit back and say, 'No, I'm not going to do that.' I have to help my son. He wants his education.

"We're lucky we have his grandfather there to support him and further him in his education.

"If we didn't, he would have been stuck here."

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