The start of the school year feels like the flooding of Montreal. How will we navigate the fluctuating water levels and the many floating items they are washing up? With the seriousness and humour that she is known for, the Director General introduces the important themes to watch for in the 2024-2025 school year.

This new school year started with less interference from ongoing renovation and construction projects. Even though some schools were not entirely ready to open, communities have rolled up their sleeves to enable educational activities to resume. For instance, five houses, including a private home, were allocated to set up temporary classrooms in Tasiujaq. In Puvirnituq and Akulivik, the gymnasium and kitchen should be ready to welcome our young people at the end of September, all depending on how far the work has progressed.

Recruitment, on the other hand, remains a big issue. We need Inuit staff! Until we find the rare gems in our communities, we are working with all the stakeholders present to reorganize the classes and ensure all students have a homeroom teacher.

I’m excited to announce that Sivumuattiit, our student success initiative, was launched in June. This strategic planning process will be an ongoing challenge for you throughout the year, as we continue looking into new ideas and new ways of doing things. Stay tuned, we’ll let you know how you can participate in the consultations that will be held with staff and communities. The teaching languages and programs are also under consideration: we are working on a clear timeline to start implementing changes.

Will the MEQ investigation be another one of those floating items in the 2024-2025 school year? We have passed the June 30 deadline and are still waiting for the report. We did not, however, wait to act. Our finances are healthy, we ended the year without a deficit, and we have a five-year recovery plan.

Finally, we are hopeful that negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements involving teachers, professionals and support staff will be concluded soon. Maintaining the benefits we secured for staff recruited locally when the 2020-2023 collective agreements were negotiated has remained a top priority for us.

Looking forward to seeing you during my visits to your communities,

Harriet Keleutak,

Director General