The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received lead testing results for Helen Kalvak School in Ulukhaktok. Testing has confirmed that some drinking water fixtures show lead levels above the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. As a result, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) has issued a Public Health Order for the school.

Effective immediately, affected water fixtures at Helen Kalvak School will be out of service and an alternate drinking water source will be provided.

The Mentor-Apprentice Program is looking for new mentors and apprentices who want to teach and learn their language.

The Mentor-Apprentice Program is a way of learning an Indigenous language where a fluent speaker of the language (mentor) teaches a committed language learner (an apprentice) by doing everyday activities using only their Indigenous language.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received lead testing results for Chief T’Selehye School in Fort Good Hope. Testing has confirmed that several drinking water fixtures show lead levels above the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. As a result, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) has issued a Public Health Order and implemented a flushing protocol for the school.

The Government of Alberta has cancelled all January 2026 diploma exams due to instructional time lost during the recent teachers’ strike. Because the Northwest Territories uses Alberta’s diploma examination program, this cancellation also applies to all Grade 12 students in the NWT.

As a result, NWT students are automatically exempt from writing diploma exams in January. Students who wish to write an exam later in the school year will continue to have opportunities to do so.

What this means for NWT students:

The Geographical and Community Place Names Policy needs your input. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is updating this policy to enhance the role of Indigenous governments and the public in naming decisions. The policy was last updated in 1997 and no longer reflects how the GNWT works with Indigenous governments and the public.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Caitlin Cleveland issued the following statement today in response to the latest drinking water test results from NWT schools:

“As a parent, a lifelong resident of the Northwest Territories, and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I remain deeply concerned by the test results showing elevated lead levels in drinking water fixtures at schools in our territory.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received lead testing results for Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife. Testing has confirmed that some drinking water fixtures show lead levels above the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. As a result, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) has issued a Public Health Order for the school.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s (ECE) North Slave Regional and Community Service Centres in Yellowknife and Behchokǫ̀’s office hours will change starting Wednesday, December 3. Both offices will be open to the public Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received lead testing results for Kaw Tay Whee School in Dettah. Testing has confirmed that some water fixtures show lead levels above the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. As a result, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) has issued a Public Health Order for the school.

Effective immediately, all water fixtures and the water fountain at Kaw Tay Whee School will be out of service.

Education Leaders from across the Northwest Territories met on November 17, 2025, for the first in-person Education Leaders’ meeting of the 2025–2026 school year. The group includes Education, Culture and Employment Minister Caitlin Cleveland, Board Chairs from all Northwest Territories’  District Education Authorities and Divisional Education Councils, including Education Leaders Forum Chair Barbara Bell (Yellowknife Education District No.