The last time Nunavummiut heard from retired teacher Nick Newbery was at a 2015 ceremony, when he donated 3,600 photographs to the Government of Nunavut.

(Those photos and use by Nunavummiut.)

Now heSA国际影视传媒檚 written Never a Dull Moment: Forty Years in Education in CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 North (and in a few other places), a 192-page autobiography recounting historic events, as well as his take on NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 education system.

Newbery had several reasons for writing his collection of personal anecdotes, which takes the reader from Europe, including Northern Ireland, to Toronto, then various Nunavut communities SA国际影视传媒� Taloyoak, Pangnirtung, Qikiqtarjuaq, and Iqaluit.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檇 had two surgeries last summer and I wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 allowed to do anything, so I thought, SA国际影视传媒榃hat do I do with the summer?'SA国际影视传媒� said Newberry.

SA国际影视传媒淪ince I do quite a bit of writing, this seemed like a natural thing to do. It was on my bucket list.SA国际影视传媒�

And, he says, the North was good to him.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou get so much freedom as an individual. Professionally youSA国际影视传媒檙e allowed to try out a whole bunch of things you wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 normally get to do down south SA国际影视传媒� whether youSA国际影视传媒檙e in health, journalism or education, or whatever SA国际影视传媒� and I was able to do things in education I found rewarding,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut I was also appalled by the system which was not serving the needs of many kids I met. It was either disorganized and/or more recently trying to impose a foreign SA国际影视传媒� Alberta SA国际影视传媒� curriculum on a bunch of rural native children.SA国际影视传媒�

Newbery adds that unless you make the education cross-cultural, it wonSA国际影视传媒檛 work.

SA国际影视传媒淚 did that for 17 years in Iqaluit and it worked. ISA国际影视传媒檝e known other teachers who have done it, and it worked,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut we donSA国际影视传媒檛 seem to do it as an education department.SA国际影视传媒�

The photographer and author says he wanted to express his ideas and have other people read them.

SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 discuss education very much. We leave it to the bureaucrats and the bureaucrats are out of touch. (They) canSA国际影视传媒檛 sit in their ivory towers and tell everybody how to do things. They need to talk to the teachers on the front line,SA国际影视传媒� he says.

Newbery is further appalled by the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 graduation rate.

SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 telling you something. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e walking, and why are they walking? ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 lots of reasons, but one of the major reasons would be that the curriculum is totally unsuitable. The other thing we need to do is to orientate new teachers so that they know what theySA国际影视传媒檙e getting into before they get there,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淭hirdly, we need to bring parents into the picture more and make them realize, SA国际影视传媒楲ook, youSA国际影视传媒檝e got to push. YouSA国际影视传媒檝e got to encourage.SA国际影视传媒� And I think the DEAs (district education authorities) could do a lot of that for us.SA国际影视传媒�

Newbery realizes his book will not change the world.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut I donSA国际影视传媒檛 find anybody really writing about education and criticizing it, or critiquing it. The teachersSA国际影视传媒� association SA国际影视传媒� which is a neutral body and can criticize government, which individual teachers canSA国际影视传媒檛 do SA国际影视传媒� I donSA国际影视传媒檛 find says a lot to really inform the public and criticize the government, and list options,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淪o what are we left with? The DEAs really represent their locale and they donSA国际影视传媒檛 get together very much. So, I wrote a book. I wanted people to think about these things.SA国际影视传媒�

He says he tried to make the book fun and interesting, and provide real-life examples of what could be done. He wants Nunavummiut to read Never a Dull Moment.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 their children. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 their system. If people donSA国际影视传媒檛 start thinking and discussing, and getting a little annoyed about it, itSA国际影视传媒檚 not going to change,SA国际影视传媒� said Newbery.

Newbery launches his book at Arctic Ventures in Iqaluit this weekend SA国际影视传媒� at 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.

The book will be available for purchase at that location or it can be ordered from Newbery himself.