Overview
The Territory of Nunavut is the newest and largest territory of Canada. It is located in northern Canada and is bordered by the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, the Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean. Nunavut is the same size as Western Europe, but with a population of 29,474, it is the smallest province or territory in Canada in terms of population. 83.6% of the population is Inuit.
The area of present-day Nunavut has been continuously populated for 4,000 years. The first European explorer in the area, Martin Frobisher, arrived in 1576. As a result of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and the Nunavut Act which were passed by the Canadian Parliament on July 9, 1993, the Territory of Nunavut was created. It was officially separated from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999.
Nunavut means “our land” in Inuktitut which is the language Inuit. The official languages are Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English and French. The Government has a goal of a fully bi-lingual (Inuktitut and English) population by 2020.
Education
Education in Nunavut is free and compulsory from ages 6 to 15. Currently, the Nunavut Department of Education oversees the country’s education system.
Primary and Secondary Education
Primary school is 6 years and begins at age 6. It is divided into Division 1 (years 1-3) and Division 2 (years 4-6). Junior high school is 3 years and senior high school is 3 years. Upon successful completion of senior high school, students are awarded a High School Graduation Diploma.
Post-Secondary Education
There is only one post-secondary educational institution: Nunavut Arctic College. It offers many short-term (8 weeks) vocational and technical programs, as well as one-year certificate programs and two-year diploma programs. The diploma programs are designed to prepare students to transfer to 4-year colleges and universities in other provinces and territories. In conjunction with Dalhousie University, if offers a Bachelor of Science in Arctic Nursing, and in conjunction with McGill University, a Bachelor of Education.
Teacher Training
Primary and secondary school teachers must hold a Bachelor of Education.
