Not much is being publicly said, but there is likely a lot being said behind closed doors between the Government of Nunavut and Coral Harbour’s district education authority.
According to members of Coral Harbour’s DEA, Sakku School was closed as of Aug. 14, when it was supposed to be opening for the new school year. According to what the GN told Kivalliq News, that was not necessarily the case.
Either way, the exact source of the issue appeared locked behind privacy considerations.
“The Department of Education is aware of issues at Sakku School in Coral Harbour,” the department told Kivalliq News in an email.
“The department connected with the DEA chair yesterday evening to discuss their concerns, and will continue the dialogue going forward.”
Details regarding the exact issue going on are confidential and cannot be shared or discussed publicly, the email went on to say.
“The Department of Education will work to ensure that all proper procedures and due process will be followed regarding this and all related matters.”
According to the DEA, the school closure is in support of the principal, though the DEA would not elaborate on that comment at the time.
“The department continues to support Sakku School and the school’s leadership team,” wrote the Department of Education. “Sakku School was opened yesterday (Aug. 14) and remains open today, though some parents may be choosing to keep their students home from school.”
The GN ended the email by stating, “We are looking forward to resolving this issue so that students in Coral Harbour can resume their learning and other school activities.”
But as of Monday, Aug. 21, the DEA released correspondence outlining its concerns.
In the letter, the DEA says the decision to close the school was made in response to the Department of Education suspending the principal pending an investigation at the start of the school year.
“Department of Education representative came into town unannounced to the DEA to deliver a suspension letter to the principal and just left the community without giving the DEA an opportunity to ask questions or give proper guidance in welcoming the students for the first day of school,” reads the letter, which was posted to Facebook.
“DEA’s primary goal is to have a safe and welcoming school environment for both the students and staff to enjoy teaching and learn. We trust that the principal will be cleared of wrongdoing and be welcomed back to the school on Sept. 8, 2023 to properly welcome the students to a good start of the 2023-2024 school year.
The letter ends by saying anyone who feels their children are safe without a principal in school could send their children to school as of Aug. 22.
ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓗᐊᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᓇᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᖕᒥᓂᖅᓱᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᕗ ᒐᕙᒪᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓪᓕᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕇᔩᑦ.
ᓴᓪᓕᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᒍᑦ, ᓴᒃᑯ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᐅᑯᐊᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᖢᒍ ᐊᒌᓯ 14, ᐅᑯᐃᕐᓂᖃᓪᓗᐊᓕᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᑭᐊᖑᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧ. ᐱᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖓ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᖅ ᐱᕙᓕᐊᔪᓕᕆᔨᒧᑦ, ᐱᔪᑎᐅᖏᑲᓗᐊᕐᒪᑦ.
ᓇᐅᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᑯᑦ, ᑲᖑᓇᖅᑑᓯᒪᑲᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ.
‘’ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᓕᐅᕈᑎᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᓴᒃᑯ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᓴᓪᓕᕐᓂ,’’ ᑎᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᐳᖅ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᖅ ᐱᕙᓕᐊᔪᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ ᑎᑎᖃᑯ.
‘’ᑎᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᑐᓂᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄ ᐃᒃᐸᒃᓴᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᓗᑎᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᒪᖃᑎᒌᖏᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ.’’
ᓇᓄᓇᐃᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᓕᐅᕈᑎᒧᑦ ᑲᖑᓇᖅᑑᖕᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖏᖦᖢᑎᒃ ᑭᑯᓕᒪᕐᓄᑦ, ᑎᑎᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᐳᑦ.
‘’ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᐊᑲᐅᔪᒃᑰᑦ ᐃᖏᕋᒐᓗᐊᕐᒪᖔ ᐊᒪᓗ ᒪᓕᒋᐊᓕᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᑕᐅᓗᑎᑦ ᐱᔪᒧᑦ.’’
ᐅᖃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᓂ, ᐅᑯᐊᕈᑎᖃᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᕐᒥ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᑦ ᑭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖏᓚᑦ ᑕᔅᓱᒥᖓ.
‘’ᑎᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᔪᓯᔪᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓪᓗᓂ ᓴᒃᑯ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᑦ.’’ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ. ‘’ᓴᑯ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᐅᒃᑯᐃᖓᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᒃᐸᒃᓴᖅ ᐊᒌᓯ 14 ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑯᐃᖓᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ, ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᖄᑦ ᐊᖏᕋᖅᓯᒪᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ.’’
ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᓂ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖃᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ, ᑕᑯᔪᒪᕗᒍᑦ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᓕᐅᕈᑎᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᕿᒋᐊᖅᑕᓗᓂ ᐃᓂᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᓪᓕᕐᓂ ᑲᔪᓯᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖏᑦ.’’