“There’s No Book and There’s No Guide”: The Expressed Needs of Qallunaat Educators in Nunavut

Non-Inuit educators in five communities in Nunavut expressed frustration about the lack of culturally relevant curriculum and resources, the unsuitability of these materials for students whose first language is Inuktitut, and their own lack of ability to teach Inuit students effectively. Although th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Paul Berger, Juanita Ross Epp
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Brock University 2010
Subjects:
L
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/0ab825ff8b02487ab055ac4ed97a75ec
Description
Summary:Non-Inuit educators in five communities in Nunavut expressed frustration about the lack of culturally relevant curriculum and resources, the unsuitability of these materials for students whose first language is Inuktitut, and their own lack of ability to teach Inuit students effectively. Although these are symptomatic of larger problems, we recommend that the Nunavut Department of Education prioritize the creation of culturally relevant, ESL-sensitive curriculum and resources, institute an orientation to Inuit culture for all non-Inuit teachers, and provide regular inservicing to help them teach Inuit students effectively.