May 17, 2011 - The Aboriginal Student Achievement (ASA) Status Report was tabled yesterday by Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Jackson Lafferty.
“Our long-term goal of developing and implementing a territorial education plan to bridge the achievement gap between Aboriginal and other students is receiving constant support from Aboriginal governments as well as community and education leaders,” says Lafferty.
The report outlines the Education Plan and common concerns from the Minister’s Regional Forums, which focused on improving education outcomes for Aboriginal students across the NWT. The forums were held throughout the 2010-11 school year, and included discussions on priority areas such as: early childhood and child care, student and family support, Aboriginal language and resource development, and literacy.
During the forums, all leaders expressed solid support for the priorities. Each region offered a unique perspective and specific ideas on how the four priorities could be supported locally.
There was collective agreement around building community connections and increasing Aboriginal languages and culture in the education system. Another common theme was recognizing that the entire community plays an important role in raising our children.
On Tuesday, May 24th, Aboriginal government and education leaders from each region will meet in Yellowknife to talk about their vision for the future of education and learning in the NWT. This is the first time leaders from all regions are coming together to have this discussion. The final report will be tabled in the August 2011 session.
The ASA Status Report is posted on What’s New at ECE at www.ece.gov.nt.ca or contact:
Amy Doerksen Ashley Green
Manager, Public Affairs Public Affairs Officer
Education, Culture and Employment Education, Culture and Employment
Phone: (867) 920-6222 Phone: (867) 920-3059