Nunavut student in Cambridge Bay says lack of Grade 12 chemistry will add a year to her nursing path

The Story

Faran Greenley, a Grade 12 student at Kiilinik High School in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, wants to become a nurse but says she cannot take key high-school prerequisites locally for application to nursing programs.

Greenley said her community’s school does not offer courses she needs, including chemistry and physics. She is looking at programs at the University of British Columbia or the University of Alberta, both of which require Grade 12 chemistry, a course she said is not available at Kiilinik High School.

According to an email from a spokesperson with Nunavut’s Department of Education, high schools in only five Nunavut communities offer Grade 12 chemistry: Iqaluit, Arviat, Gjoa Haven, Rankin Inlet and Taloyoak.

Greenley said she will have to spend an extra year at a southern upgrading college to complete the prerequisites before she can apply to university, which she said will take time and thousands of dollars.

Nunavut District Education Authorities director Maya Jelali said the problem is tied to teacher shortages across the territory. She said Nunavut began the year with 120 teacher positions vacant, which she linked to cancelled classes and limits on students’ future.

Jelali also said Nunavut’s education is not on par with southern schools due to the lack of qualified teachers, adding that if a student cannot access a course required for college or university, they may not be able to graduate or pursue their dream.

Greenley said she raised the issue with education minister David Akeeagok during questions at the Legislative Assembly last month. She said she finds it unfair that she and other Inuit students face barriers to taking the courses available to students elsewhere.

Despite the added time and cost, Greenley said she is determined to become a nurse and eventually return to Nunavut to help communities.