(1,699 kb)
(1,699 kb)
In Nunavut, it's known as I.Q.—Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit—and it's the central component of a 10-year plan to produce a completely new curriculum for Nunavut, Canada's newest territory, created in April 1999. I.Q. is a mix of Inuit tradition, wisdom and perspective on the world. Part of Nunavut's long-term plan includes the development of a new curriculum for use in 42 schools in a territory that covers about one-fifth of Canada's land mass.
Nunavut's schools are organized into three regions: Qikiqtaaluk region's 4,190 students attend 22 schools and are taught by 226 teachers and 54 language specialists; Kitikmeot region's 1,447 students attend nine schools and are taught by 82 teachers and 11 language specialists; and Kivalliq region's 2,319 students attend 11 schools under the tutelage of 129 teachers and 11 language specialists. Approximately one in every three educational staff members is Inuit.
Under the new plan, there will be three interconnected strands of the curriculum based on the core document, Inuuqatigiit. From kindergarten to Grade 12, students will be immersed in Nunavusiutit, or the relationship Nunavut people have with each other and with the land. Students will explore Inuit values, Inuit customs and the Inuit approach to the environment. Learning will be co-operative and in groups, with an emphasis on activity and discovery—common characteristics of primary education elsewhere in Canada, but with one major difference: preserving language lies at the heart of the plan.
A second strand, Inuktitut Ukausiliriniq, addresses the study of Inuit languages. Students will be taught primarily, but not exclusively, in Inuktitut. In the communities of the Kitikmeot region, students will learn Innuinnaqtun, a dialect that nearly became extinct but is now being reclaimed.
A third strand is Inuuqatigiiniq, which deals with personal roles, responsibilities and relationships. This strand emphasizes volunteer work and working in a collective.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit will be the focus of the new curriculum. Interdisciplinary teaching modules will be built around everyday experiences and activities. For example, a sled or qamutik might be used to integrate concepts of mathematics, physics, history, animal conservation, literature, colonization and the environment. The material used for the sled's runners—bone, skin, frozen fish, moss and mud—can be compared with prefabricated materials and lead to discussion about the different ways to describe snow conditions.
The curriculum will attempt to maintain a balance between two important goals: it will enhance Inuit culture and language, while preparing students for higher learning and participation in Canada's increasingly knowledge-based economy.