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Teachers’ union backs evolution

“It’s respect for students and their intelligence”

JANE GEORGE

The union representing teachers in Nunavik, l’Association de l’enseignement du Nouveau-Quebec says it will defend any teachers in Nunavik who are told not to teach the theory of evolution.

If the Kativik School Board continues to challenge the judgment of its teachers with respect to what they should or shouldn’t teach, Patrick d’Astous, the union’s president, says teachers will flee the region.

“I think it’s incompetent and shows a lack of concern for the education of children in Nunavik.”

D’Astous said students in Nunavik will pay for the exodus of teachers who will leave if they feel they can’t teach according to how they were trained.

“It’s not too smart. Personally, I think the school board is on a slippery slope to say the church can have a direct impact on schooling, and they seem not to acknowledge that they’re having more and more trouble recruiting teachers,” D’Astous said.

“They should be doing anything they can to keep their teachers there. It seems to mean nothing to them that their teachers are leaving.”

D’Astous said the union will continue to remind the KSB that they have to respect the professional independence of teachers.

“We can tell our members that they don’t have to respect any directive coming from educational committees or the school board that could limit your autonomy — you don’t have to respect it and we will defend you.”

There’s no way around talking about evolution in science and history classes, D’Astous said — but there’s a way of bringing other views into the discussion.

“That’s respect — it’s respect for students and their intelligence, and for their future in the modern world,” he said.

The union stepped into the fray when Salluit’s school committee wanted to take disciplinary action against Alexandre April for teaching evolution at Ikusik School. D’Astous said he determined that there were no official grounds for this, but, as a result, April ended up with a reprimand.

This was the first time Salluit’s school committee — whose members include Qalingo Angutigirk, Elasuk Pauyungie, Susie Alaku, Molly Tayara, Joanna Alaku, Josepi Padlayat and Kululu Tayara — intervened in a pedagogical issue.

D’Astous said this was the first time the issue of teaching evolution has officially surfaced with the union as well.

D’Astous said he doesn’t understand why Nunavimmiut would want to turn away from evolution — one of the backbones of modern science.

“Science is completely turning the environment upside down, and we’re going to put our heads in the sand and say that science doesn’t exist? On the contrary, we should understand science, master it, and be able to say that we can use it,” he said.

“Soon, there won’t be any more ice in the Arctic. The world is changing. Inuit have to embrace education — it’s the only door open.”

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