Arctic Bay - Education

Education

The community is serviced by a single K–12 school, Inuujaq School, that has an enrollment around 200 students. There is also an Nunavut Arctic College host site where the Nunavut Teacher Education Program (NTEP)is being taught. In 2009 many of the NTEP graduates, who are locals, will become teachers in levels from kindergarten to grade 7. As the only outsiders in the community are government workers, the student population is almost entirely Inuit and the first language spoken is Inuktitut.

Like most high schools in Nunavut, Inuujaq uses the Alberta educational curriculum. However, one challenge faced by educators in this community is that most students read at a lower level, lower than their Alberta counterparts (as of 2007). As with most schools in Nunavut, the school is under the partial authority of the locally elected District Education Authority (DEA) who design policy as well as make decisions regarding discipline, spending, and cultural activities.

Inuujaq School was recently involved in a Toronto YMCA exchange (March 2006). After a great deal of fundraising, fifteen children and two adults from Arctic Bay made their way to Toronto for a seven-day trip. Then 15 people from Toronto travelled to Arctic Bay for nine days to experience the land and culture. While in Arctic Bay students participated in the annual fishing derby; camping out at Ikpikituarjuk over the May long weekend. Also students enjoyed the 24-hour light experience and an Arctic Bay festival on the ice. Sites visited in Ontario included the CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame, MuchMusic, Niagara Falls, and the Harriet Tubman Church in St. Catharines.