Muin Sipu School
Chief Frank S. Meuse
Director of Education Steve Meuse
Mi'kmaw Language Teacher/s one
According to the Band Manager, Clara Brooks, Bear River has had local control of education for the past five and one half years. Their school (Muin Sipu) is located on the main road leading to the community. There are twenty-two children registered from grades K-8.
Muin Sipu School
Mi'kmaw is taught as a second language by a teacher with minimal fluency. They had a fluent teacher one year and the children were able to learn their colours, numbers, prayers and a few conversational phrases.
There are three full time teachers and one half time. All teachers have an assistant. Two of the teachers teach four grade levels. Preschool is taught on a half day basis.
Bear River has made a tremendous effort to establish Mi'kmaw language course in their school system, but, has been unable to get a fluent certified teacher for the past two years. Immersion at this point is improbable but their hopes for the future remain optimistic.
Grades nine to twelve students attend a local provincial school where no Mi'kmaw language courses are available.
The Band Manager felt that learning Mi'kmaw prayers and having Mi'kmaw literature and curriculum materials was a priority for their community. The least important were games, audio/video tapes, or cultural activities.
They would be interested in providing lessons
for adults, possibly through distant education or some kind of connection
with a satellite system.
| a. Never heard Mi'kmaq spoken at home |
| b. Grand/parents or yourself attended Residential School |
| c. Children attended non-native schools in your area |
| d. Only way to succeed in school was to speak English |
| e. Brought in by a family member from the U.S. |
| f. Neighbours speak English |
| g. Too much English on TV |
| h. Knows the language but afraid to make mistakes |
| i. One of the parents was non-native |
| j. Babysitter was English speaking |
| k. Other |
