Inuit Students Struggling to Complete Grade 10: Drop-outs or Push-outs?

Shuvinai Mike

As a high school teacher, Shuvinai Mike worried about the number of grade ten students who failed to graduate: “It breaks my heart when I see students struggling in the same grade for two or three years.” Her concern persists in her present position as the Director of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit at the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth and led to her research question, “Are they dropouts or push outs?” Shuvinai speculates that the Anglo culture of high school, “with its differences in communication styles between home and school,” as well as the practice of streaming students, are major factors. Her interviews with teachers, students and parents elicited concrete suggestions including modular units, evening classes, more Inuit teachers and permanent homeroom teachers.