[lg policy] Canada: Nunavut student allegedly punished for speaking Inuktitut, says MLA

[Harold Schiffman]

 Nunavut student allegedly punished for speaking Inuktitut, says MLA
3-strike, no-Inuktitut rule could have led to suspension for Grade 8
students, says David Joanasie

By Elyse Skura, Jordan Konek, CBC News
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/cbc-news-online-news-staff-list-1.1294364> Posted:
Oct 26, 2016 7:37 AM CT Last Updated: Oct 26, 2016 11:27 AM CT
[image: South Baffin MLA David Joanasie says it was 'quite shocking' to
hear that students had been told not to speak Inuktitut in class.]

South Baffin MLA David Joanasie says it was 'quite shocking' to hear that
students had been told not to speak Inuktitut in class. (Kieran
Oudshoorn/CBC)


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Nunavut politicians were 'shocked' to hear some students in Cape Dorset
have apparently been warned not to speak Inuktitut in class or they would
be suspended.

South Baffin MLA David Joanasie says he was told at least one teacher has
introduced a three-strike policy, because they are afraid students who
speak in a language they can't understand might be bullying people.

And he says a Grade 8 student was disciplined.

"That is wrong," he said in Inuktitut. "Totally wrong."

The situation is not only unfair to students who can no longer speak their
native language, said Joanasie, it's reminiscent of the kind of
assimilation policies Nunavut was created to fight against.

"It's quite shocking to be honest. It reminds me of the residential school
era."

These are the types of policies that have "broken up the Inuit culture" and
which still negatively affect people across the territory, he told the
Nunavut Legislative Assembly in a passionate address.
Nunavut government looking into allegations

Education Minister Paul Quassa says he's looking into the allegations and
will take action to ensure no teachers think this kind of policy is
acceptable.

"This is a 1950s, '60s situation," he said. "Certainly I don't want to
return to those years, because I've been there myself."
[image: Education Minister Paul Quassa Nunavut Legislative Assembly Oct.
25, 2016]

'The majority of the population of that community are Inuit and they speak
Inuktitut,' said Nunavut Education Minister Paul Quassa. 'Certainly in our
schools, that should not be an obstacle for any student." (Kieran
Oudshoorn/CBC)

Quassa told the legislature that as a residential school student he was
physically punished for speaking his mother tongue and "we don't want to go
back to that."

Another MLA, Paul Okalik, added that he had heard about no-Inuktitut
policies happening in Iqaluit schools.

"We are in 2016," Okalik said in Inuktitut. "All teachers should be told
that the language of Inuktitut should be promoted — not stopped."

Quassa later said in an interview that he was "disappointed" to hear about
the situation, and added that "nobody's going to be told not to speak their
own language."
Cultural training provided to teachers

While "this is a problem he can't let go," Joanasie added that teachers
need to be given tools to fight potential bullying.

"It's not tolerated and it shouldn't be, whether it's in English,
Inuktitut, French or any language," he told CBC.

"We need to be able to call it out and say — not in my school."

Quassa said providing a safe school for teachers, counsellors and students
is a top priority of the government and it's working hard on its
anti-bullying campaign.

The minister added that all new teachers are given orientation training to
the territory and "we teach them about the Inuktitut language."

"The majority of the population of that community are Inuit and they speak
Inuktitut," he added.

"Certainly in our schools that should not be an obstacle for any student."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/no-inuktitut-school-policy-1.3821504



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