Inuit speak of frustration, hope at national early-childhood education gathering

April 1, 2010 – Ottawa, Ontario – Teachers and staff representing every Aboriginal head start program and child care centre in Canada’s Inuit regions appealed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday in a letter aimed at improving the quality of Inuit early-childhood education (ECE).

The letter follows the first-ever National Inuit Early Childhood Education Gathering, held in mid-March in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador.

“Closing the education gap is the most important social and economic challenge that Inuit face in the coming years,” said National Inuit Leader Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, chair of the National Committee on Inuit Education, whose national strategy, slated for release later this year, will include a chapter on ECE.

“This gathering was a crucial step in tackling the challenges ECE teachers face and their letter to Prime Minister Harper speaks with many voices. It reveals their frustration and absolute dedication, and also demonstrates the urgency of their needs.”

The letter grew from a workshop in which teachers were asked to name five things the Prime Minister should do to improve the quality of Inuit ECE:

1. Invest in Inuit ECE: We would like a commitment from the Government of Canada that shows that you truly value what we do. Did you know that it costs $13 for a jug of milk in some Nunavut communities, an amount that is greater than the hourly wage of some ECE teachers?
2. Invest in infrastructure: Some of our childcare facilities do not meet minimum building standards. We need more licensed childcare spaces, but we also need warm, safe spaces for our children to learn and play.
3. Allow teachers to teach: We need secured, long-term, committed funding agreements. Childcare workers should not have to spend their days writing proposals for funding.
4. Support the Inuit language: We are calling for the development of Inuit-specific, linguistically and culturally appropriate teaching materials.
5. Support training and professional development: We need more gatherings like this one in Labrador – so that we can meet , share, plan, strategize and grow more than once every 10 years. But we also need programs in our home communities and regions to help us develop our skills and support a growing number of Inuit children with special needs.

The conference was a celebration of Inuit ECE and represented the first time early-years teachers from across Inuit Nunangat (which includes the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik in northern Quebec and Nunatsiavut in northern Labrador) and urban centres have come together in one place to exchange ideas and share successes.

For more information:
Patricia D’Souza
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
613/292-4482; dsouza@itk.ca