Canada - Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable

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Life Long Learning Sectoral Follow-up Session: Facilitators' Report

Lifelong Learning: Post-Secondary Education (PSE) and Skills Development

Summary Of Discussions - Inuit Breakout Session

Key Messages

The process of change will take generations. It will take a well thought out strategy and will need to be articulated clearly to initiate positive change. It is imperative that we address and meet the dual lifestyles that Inuit live now.

The territorial governments and the Inuit organizations already know and have excellent ideas on what needs to be done, but these cannot presently be implemented. The Government of Canada must listen to Inuit and provide these needed resources.

Education (lifelong learning) is NOT just about getting a job. We need skills to build healthy communities.

Issues of Jurisdiction and Control

  • develop a National Inuit College Board;
  • literacy is the number one problem that requires dedicated funding to deal with Inuit special needs;
  • Inuit funding control: there is funding but Inuit need to identify best practices with money specifically targeted for implementation;
  • Inuit communities will have to encourage lifelong learning with more trained counsellors, mentors and real success stories;
  • a National Inuit Education Secretariat under INAC Inuit specific section;
  • Inuit women’s voice should be integral to all curriculum development;
  • community-based decision making;
  • implement the Land Claims;
  • programming must be Inuit-specific, of no less value and thereby accredited; and
  • development and delivery of programs must reflect Inuit cultural values and be inclusive.

Inuit have negotiated Land Claim Agreements that are excellent templates and have set out the main objectives that Inuit want to see implemented:

  • economic self-sufficiency;
  • health, education, justice; and
  • the protection of social and cultural heritage.

Inuit need the resources to achieve their objectives. INAC has clearly demonstrated that it is unable to implement Land Claim Agreements, and Inuit need a new process to work with the Privy Council Office and an Inuit Secretariat that is not in INAC.

Inuit educational institutions need to include satellite learning and the coordination between all four Land Claim Agreements. There is no Inuit control over post-secondary curriculum.

Recommended Actions

  • revise curriculum to reflect Inuit realities;
  • create an Inuit oversight body or ombudsman to screen curriculum and research;
  • monitor (enforce) existing labour force development provisions;
  • competency-based accreditation for trades rather than journey person system;
  • F/T/P funded “Nunavut Sivuniksavut” style programs;
  • role models, summer placements and youth delivered presentations;
  • labour market development programs are not working and there is a need to revisit the current policies;
  • further research into the educational system to determine why it is not working;
  • establish linkages to allow an exchange of information between organizations; and
  • if it doesn’t work, replace it!

What recommendations would improve access to PSE?

What? How?
Family support services
  • access to a 1-800 number to assist families in staying together and in touch;
  • provide family housing;
  • coordinator to help families find child care, housing, etc.;
  • Elders service on campus; and
  • parent training.
Flexibility of program delivery
  • broadband;
  • language of instruction;
  • modular delivery;
  • distance education;
  • delivery in communities;
  • continue to support learning (by) disabled students; and
  • co-op work experience.
Program design
  • Inuit specific curriculum that is culturally relevant;
  • language of instruction be Inuit;
  • collaborative voice (Inuit and non-Inuit) in decision making;
  • more Inuit trainers/educators;
  • raise the bar at all levels of learning;
  • transition programs; and
  • develop Inuit schools that study and teach Inuit values, etc.;
Program funding
  • simplified funding/application criteria and process;
  • long-term funding commitment;
  • increase funding;
  • institution creation;
  • identify what is available; and
  • evaluate programs.
Motivation and awareness
  • involve parents and students;
  • PSE fairs;
  • guest speakers in schools; and
  • national database on programs within PSE institutions.
Infrastructure
  • daycares, family housing;
  • Inuit centres; and
  • everything.
Transition programs
  • examine existing Inuit cultural programs;
  • create study and work-skill programs; and
  • curb culture shock.
Fund pre-entry introductory programs (i.e. Nunavut Sivuniksavut)
  • consistent criteria; and
  • simplify criteria and application process.
K-12
  • have higher expectations on students → challenge them.
  • graduates are not qualified for PSE:
  • quality control; and
  • accountability.
Provide information on post-secondary education options are out there
  • get students and university representatives into communities to share their programs offered.
Motivate students
  • utilize parents—teach parents to teach students; and
  • build curriculum based on Inuit way of life.
Provide language courses
  • provide mainstream programs/lessons in Inuktitut.
Have committed teachers
  • support teachers, provide adequate resources; and
  • raise the bar.

What recommendations would improve access to skills development?

  • Inuktitut language as a credit course;
  • educate public about Inuit skills development program needs;
  • trade schools within regions;
  • better collaboration between F/P/T/Inuit to determine training needs;
  • wellness courses in schools with community and family involvement;
  • career exposure in high schools;
  • improved infrastructure and infostructure (connectivity in the Arctic);
  • competency-based grading system and accreditation;
  • entry to programs test Inuit way of learning (hands on/oral). Southern/Inuit ways of learning must meet in curriculum;
  • new education system based on Inuit language and culture;
  • infrastructure;
  • financial and human resources needed from the government to enable Inuit to make changes to the educational system and develop institutional capacity and infrastructure; and
  • new and improved training program designed by Inuit with diploma and non-diploma and work experience programs, on the job.

Are there opportunities to improve coordination and collaboration in PSE?

What? How?
Collaboration between universities and northern colleges
  • exchange programs;
  • offering more courses and programs in the North;
  • find out what communities and high school students want and need;
  • national Inuit college/university programs; and
  • proposal for university to link with the Arctic.
Communication between Land Claim areas and different levels of the government (communities to federal)
  • determine why students are leaving colleges, share info across the Arctic about success and failures;
  • provinces, territories and local community organizations need to communicate;
  • more Inuit representation at national F/P/T meeting resources by the federal government;
  • databank of Inuit research, knowledge, traditions and history; and
  • validate Inuit knowledge.
Research and data compilation
  • request for proposals (RFPs) for universities with the Arctic;
  • leverage needed programs; and
  • Inuit representation on PSE boards.
Inuit purchasing power
  • inform schools on Inuit;
  • support students in southern programs; and
  • Inuit voice on national education committees/boards.
Career/school information
  • tours of universities with information brought north; and
  • inform students about opportunities.
Capacity building and infrastructure
  • build housing and educational facilities;
  • support more teachers and staff;
  • southern teaching staff, (to) train Inuit (staff);
  • Elders are the foundation of education; and
  • modify requirements to overcome systemic barriers.
Alternative learning approaches
  • flexibility in program requirements; and
  • distance learning.
PSE access
  • Inuit specific delivery of PSE funds for urban Inuit.

What recommendations would improve coordination and collaboration in the area of skills development?

What? How?
Inuit are under-represented in the Canadian labour force. Create an all inclusive national Inuit policy on skills development.
Lack of Inuit-specific data on skills development. Inuit designed data collection methods for Inuit skill sets, best practices and challenges.
Lack of Inuit-specific skill sets (life, labour force, program design and instruction). Total Inuit involvement in reforming, improving, and creating skills development programs.
Poor collaboration and communication among stakeholders. Increase accountability, transparency, respect for Inuit, new and improved ways of interacting and partnering inclusive of the urban Inuit.

Building Capacity and Sustainability

What? How?

National Inuit Secretariat:

  • to connect all Inuit regions,
  • assist collaboration; and
  • increase Inuit purchasing power.
  • implement federal government’s promise of a secretariat that would report directly to the Deputy Minister or the Minister of INAC.
Promote family/community wellness, family support.
  • counselling; and
  • commitment of funds to implement.
Lack of funding for service delivery.
  • Insert section into existing agreements to include specifications for service delivery.

Lack of physical space in northern colleges:

  • not enough room to accommodate all the students who wish to attend; and
  • classes have to be shifted around.
  • more infrastructure; and
  • increase in multi-year funding considering the geographic location and not based on per capita.

Need for programs to be:

  • Inuit-specific;
  • Flexible;
  • language inclusive; and
  • focused on the needs of Inuit, not the institutions.
  • Inuit involvement in development, design and decision making; and
  • involvement of Elders.
Cost of doing business in the North is very expensive.
  • funding cannot be per capita based, but needs to factor in geographic location—remoteness; and
  • funders must tour the Arctic communities and take Arctic (Inuit) cross-cultural courses.

Lack of internal capacity of Inuit organizations to deliver:

  • decision making;
  • administrating programs, and services; and
  • coordination.
  • Inuit specific training programs for program administrators.
Policies that hold organizations accountable re: mentoring and job training (on the job training (OJT)) → making sure Inuit will get the positions.
  • set and meet objectives that are bound by legislation, (e.g. Greenland, Nunavut); and
  • monitoring (i.e. Inuit secretariat).
Support urban Inuit
  • funding to be inclusive of urban Inuit; and
  • enhance existing programming.
Funding more than per capita (Northern realities/costs)
  • flexibility in allocation formulas; and
  • flexibility to change programs.
Strong elementary and secondary education (K-12)
  • strong academic expectations; and
  • integration of Inuit content (e.g. language).
Capital and HR funding for everything
  • build needed infrastructure; and
  • maintenance and operational resources.
Monitoring and consultation
  • revisit needs; and
  • long-term flexible goals.
Labour market plans and coordination
  • needs assessment; and
  • hiring graduating students.
Many adults are without Grade 8 and there is a language barrier
  • develop an adult learning strategy.
Not enough Inuit educators
  • develop programs to train educators.
No community-level baseline inventories to see where things are at now
  • detailed community skills inventories; and
  • train non-Inuit in areas of cultural sensitivity and language to increase the capacity to work together.
Young Inuit and teachers often don’t know Inuit traditional ways
  • need to involve Elders to train students and educators.
Insufficient number of Inuit in management positions
  • ensure training and processes in place to bring Inuit into management positions.
Promised Northern Economic strategy must include a capacity component
  • attach money specifically for education, training and money to ensure sustainability.
Many programs insufficiently funded
  • need guaranteed multi-year funding for education programs; and
  • programs must include traditional knowledge (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit) and be culturally sensitive.
Need to train youth (in) traditional skills
  • need money to support centres where Elders pass on knowledge aimed at teaching marketable traditional skills;
  • need to identify priorities;
  • put infrastructure in place to address capacity priorities;
  • invest in Internet broadband to deliver services;
  • ongoing need to monitor situation;
  • funding groups must see that Inuit-specific approaches are needed;
  • programs need to be designed with fewer restrictions and requirements;
  • new monies shouldn’t reduce levels of the current existing funding; and
  • need two-way partnerships between Inuit and federal government.
Information on education/training services are hard to find
  • community-based “one stop shopping” centres for information re: education and training.
Info on employment opportunities hard to find
  • maximize use of the Internet to show where opportunities exist; and
  • establish inventory showing Inuit who are available, interested and prepared for employment.
Need structure to include Elders in system
  • resident Elder on campus be mandatory at all levels of lifelong learning.
Support system needed
  • certification system for Elders required.
Lack of support for Elders that are teaching
  • government make a commitment to providing the resources necessary to fulfill long-term plan.
Need political will and a long-term plan
  • members of Parliament should be educated in Inuit specific issues and Land Claim Agreements;
  • good quality teacher training; and
  • training “on the job” for under-qualified workers;
  • resources to revamp Teacher Education Program needs to be more accessible to each community;
  • centralized database for each community plus region;
  • retraining existing teachers;
  • fund Adult plus Basic Education Program students, now they have to train for Employment Insurance;
  • trade school(s) that teach in Inuktitut;
  • cultural school(s) that teach language and culture;
  • need housing/daycares for students and staff;
  • need universal daycares sensitive to Inuit needs;
  • dollars for training and learning Inuktitut; and
  • recognize Inuktitut as a first language in Canada.
Need clear understanding of union/labour rights
  • make mandatory training for employers on employer and employee labours rights.
  • Better collaboration with and access to the Government of Canada. The territorial governments and the Inuit organizations already have strategies and plans of action, but lack the resources to implement them.
  • Self esteem and confidence building is an integral foundation for building our future so that it will be vibrant for future generations.

Research and Curriculum Development

 

What? How?
Create Inuit specific research and curriculum development
  • stable, multi-year funding for Inuit community-based research and curriculum development;
  • coordinate national data collection initiative; and
  • inclusion of Inuit regardless of geography.
Lack of collaboration, coordination and sharing among Inuit regions
  • examination of best practices across all Inuit regions; and
  • what works? What doesn’t?
Research database—divided by program/regions and cross referenced
  • stockpile data and traditional knowledge in all Inuit regions;
  • share existing information; and
  • more Inuit specific research in national studies/surveys, etc.
Lack of labour market forecasting and planning
  • need to be able to offer programs specific to the needs of the labour market.
Cultural relevance in curriculum at both K-12 and PSE levels
  • language of instruction;
  • inclusion of life skills and traditional knowledge; and
  • Inuit specific/relevant testing.
Recognize Inuit style of learning, (i.e. current system very structured whereas Inuit learning is more open and flexible)
  • more open to changes to the current system, to incorporate traditional learning/styles;
  • identify different styles through research that is documented and shared; and
  • decipher traditional knowledge.

How do we get there?

  • specialized teachers rather than generalists;
  • Inuit teachers come out with specialties (i.e. math, language, arts, history, etc.);
  • Elders of specialized knowledge are acknowledged as such—create a database and list of experts;
  • members of Parliament should be educated and aware of Inuit specific issues and land claims—legislated, mandatory training for employees on these rights;
  • national/universal daycare that is sensitive to Inuit needs and regional differences;
  • trade schools that teach in Inuktitut;
  • cultural schools that teach youth/adults Inuktitut language and culture;
  • Inuktitut recognized as a first language;
  • dollars for expertise, facilities and info/infrastructure;
  • need housing and daycare;
  • fund basic education;
  • resources to deliver Inuktitut as a language of instruction in the education system at different levels;
  • better collaboration with and access to government; and
  • Government of Canada listen to Inuit and provide the needed resources.

Application of the Crosscutting Lenses – Inuit

The application of the crosscutting lenses was integral to every discussion in the Inuit breakout group. Participants discussed the needs of Inuit no longer living within their communities and attending school in urban areas. They also examined the role of women and Inuit with disabilities, within the Inuit culture, and how their perspective and role was important in the design and implementation of an educational system for the Inuit.

The group articulated the importance of Inuit women in the development of Inuit educational curricula. The group agreed that Inuit women’s voice should be integral to all curriculum development including any research required. The involvement of Inuit women in research and curriculum development from the beginning allows for an Inuit worldview that would include, reflect and support their roles as: prime caregivers, custodians of the family, mothers, parents, wives, partners and core members of communities.

Other issues discussed relevant to Inuit women included access to support systems and initiatives for families both in the communities and for those who go south to attend learning institutions. Supports would include Inuit sensitive daycare, housing and supports to assist individuals and families in the transition from community to city life. Participants expressed their desire to establish, resource and maintain the infrastructure to provide the necessary supports.

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The documentation contained on this website does not necessarily represent the views of any government or National Aboriginal Organization. The purpose of this website is to share information related to the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable: background papers, Facilitator's sectoral and final reports, agendas and media announcements.

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