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NUNAVUT
Nunavut's government needs to invest in bilingual education to ensure Nunavummiut can learn in both English and Inuktitut, according to a report released on Nov. 21.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. vice-president Jack Anawak said that is the main recommendation to be taken from the 2010-2011 Annual Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society released on Nov. 21.

The 66-page report NTI prepared makes a number of recommendations to the Government of Nunavut, including ensuring each community has early childhood education programs, revising the Education Act and developing and implementing a fully bilingual K-12 education system. Anawak said, regarding the latter recommendation, the federal government must work with its territorial counterpart to finance the development and implementation of a bilingual education system.

Anawak said children should be taught life skills to prevent suicide and deal with trauma so they're ready to survive.

He added this means having a good education in both English and Inuktitut while having an awareness of what life is all about.

Inuit children have to be able to compete against other students across the nation, so when they graduate Grade 12, they are indeed at a Grade 12 level and can enter university and college, said Anawak.

"As much as we want to make sure there is bilingual education, Inuktitut and English, there needs to be a good English education so our children can keep up with any other provincial education system," he said. "If they can deliver it in English and French (in Quebec), then certainly we should be able to deliver a bilingual education of Inuktitut and English in Nunavut."

The report will contribute to the discussions on the effectiveness of the territory's Education Act when it will be reviewed in the near future, stated the territorial government in a press release. It adds the territorial government is taking the report's recommendations seriously.

The annual report is an obligation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and will be tabled in both the Nunavut legislature and in the House of Commons in Ottawa.

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