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EduTech Research Project Presents John Tyman's INUIT ~ People of the Arctic Unit V: COMMUNITY, INSTITUTIONS AND VALUES Back to Main Navigation Page |
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Education programs have also affected the community. The school had primary and lower secondary departments, but for grades 11 and 12 students had to go to a residential school in Yellowknife -- which meant few of them actually finished high school. Like most government buildings in the Arctic, the school has few windows -- to conserve heat. . |
In the old days children learnt the skills required for survival by simply observing their parents: now they are required to attend classes administered in the same way as lessons in schools further south. The display in the school foyer is meant to remind the children of their traditional culture, and there is a "cultural inclusion" program which involves the oldest members of the community telling stories about the old days.. |
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But the emphasis in the chassroom is very much on the present; and both teaching and learning are organized on lines which contrast with traditional practice. . |
Even getting the children to attend regularly can be difficult, and motivational gimmicks are used -- including banners for perfect attendance and printed weekly certificates for those who came close. Getting children there on time is also difficult -- in a culture where time clocks have little significance (which is what you would expect in an environment where there is no night in summer and no day in winter: people simply do things when they feel like it!). |
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The teachers were recruited in Southern Canada and typically only served in "the North" for two or three years, so none of them spoke Inuktitut (the language of the Inuit). At all levels here, from Grade One upwards, instruction was given in English -- and as result by the time they were 15 or so many children could not communicate effectively with older members of their family. |
The teacher aides were the only ones on staff who could speak the the local language and write it. They did some teaching in Inuktitut but not enough.. . |
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The school had plenty of equipment, but because of the remoteness of the community not all of this was well maintained. |
The library had lots of books, too, but few in Inuktitut.. . |
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There was a good manual arts workshop: but the year I was there they had been unable to hire a manual arts teacher. . |
There are lots of computers also: and children seem to enjoy playing on them. There are very few jobs in the Arctic, however, that involve computing skills.. |
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Similarly, though there's a well equipped kitchen in which both girls and boys receive instruction, there is no strong tradition of cooking in the Arctic ( "Eskimo" meaning "eater of raw flesh"). . |
To promote individual initiative and business skills (neither of which were part of the traditional Inuit life view) the older school children had been encouraged to register their own company and to buy shares in it. They were allowed to use school facilities to cook items for sale locally after school.. |
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And since there was no other source of fresh bread in the town they had lots of customers. . |
They also operated the only plant nursery in Taloyoak. A corner of the Grade Six classroom was curtained off with plastic, and used as green house with artificial lighting and heating, plus moisture control.. |
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Watercress and small greens grown hydroponically, and pot plants, were harvested regularly for the local market: and there was no shortage of customers. The profits were pocketed by the shareholders, and when any of them left school his/her share would be bought out by a newcomer. |
Christmas here was celebrated in the middle of winter; and since Taloyoak is near the North Pole "Santa" did not have far to travel. .. |
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The children were also taught about Christmas around the world. . |
Their tree was unique, however, as it is too cold for trees to grow here. It was made from the antlers discarded each winter by the caribou .. |
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That morning the children were taught how to play "Jingle Bell Rock" on their chime bars. |
And at their party they played games and danced much as children would in Australia.. |
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Their school playground, though, was only used in the warmer part of the year. |
And there were some days then when even sun glasses were appropriate!. |
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Text, photos and recordings
by John Tyman
Intended for Educational Use
Only.
Copyright Pitt Rivers Museum,
Oxford University, 2010.
Contact Dr.
John Tyman for more information regarding licensing.
Photo processing, Web page layout,
and formatting by
William
Hillman | www.hillmanweb.com
Assistant Professor ~ Faculty
of Education ~ Brandon University ~ Brandon, Manitoba ~ Canada