The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is asking all members of the public to have their say on how the JK-12 education system can better meet the needs of students.
The urgency behind the push for modernization comes from significant gaps in student outcomes between NWT students and the Canadian average as well as the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in the NWT.
R.J. Simpson, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment says modernizing the Education Act is an essential first step to improving education outcomes for NWT students.
“I look forward to hearing from our residents, education leaders and others about how we can design an education system that meets the needs of our students and communities now and into the future,” he adds.
Residents are being asked to talk about their experience in education, including what about the current system is working well and what can be improved.
Simpson says updating the framework for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 education is one way the GNWT is working to increase student education outcomes to the same level as the rest of Canada.
“The goal of modernizing the Education Act is to ensure that system wide improvements to the education system can occur as part of these broader efforts,” he adds.
The GNWT says findings will be reported back to the public in the late summer 2021.
