Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 01/99) - Saying the GNWT's continued pursuit of grade extensions in communities in both Nunavut and the Western Arctic has been revolutionary might be a bit of an understatement.

It wasn't long ago that students in places like Fort Simpson, Arctic Bay, Kugluktuk, Fort Providence and numerous others were forced to depart their communities in order to complete high school.

Alone and in strange communities, it is not surprising to see what happened -- dropout rates for these students, far from home, were sky high. With an education as one's best defence against life on the margins, one can hardly measure the social costs faced by Northern communities where a high school diploma is only a dream for most of the young.

While much work remains -- students in Nahanni Butte and throughout the Dogrib region and others still must leave home to graduate -- the policy of extending grades continues.

"The challenge will still be how to deliver the same quality of education in the smaller communities," says Education Minister Charles Dent.

Grade extensions working

When you look at the issue, the numbers are obvious, he says. Grade extensions are working in Dent's view.

"I think the numbers speak for themselves," he says. "Since grade extensions, we've had communities that have never had a graduate, graduating students."

Dent also says the policy has helped improve the North's high school participation rate percentages. Where it used to stand way below the Canadian average at a paltry 40 per cent, Dent says the NWT is now on par with the rest of Canada at about an 85 per cent participation rate. Grade extensions have played a key role in this increase.

While graduation rates have not increased as quickly, Dent says, they are still improving.

He is frank when discussing problems remaining in bringing more grade opportunities to all the NWT communities.

"Of course there are some teething pains. Most of the schools were built without the thought that older kids would be in them," he said. "Our capital program hasn't been able to keep up."

Pointing to the Internet and the value of distance education through its use, and a push to provide teachers with better resources, Dent says the picture is getting brighter.

Number of graduates is rising

Rob Burke is on the education front lines in Arctic Bay. The acting principal and teacher agrees with Dent. He says things are getting better.

His school, Inuujaq, only saw Grade 10 being offered in the 1987-1988 school year. Grade 12 arrived in 1996/1997 and the number of graduates is already rising.

"It has gone very well," he says. "In 1996/1997, we had two grads and in 1997/1998, we had five. Coming up, (this year) we have a potential (grad list of) seven."

He also says more and more students are writing NWT (and Alberta) departmental exams than ever before.

While Burke says there have been textbook and other equipment shortages in the past, this is also improving.

"Our science lab is coming along each year," he says.

In Fort Simpson, Ken Brown, the school/community counsellor at Thomas Simpson high school -- which still serves as a regional school centre for some Deh Cho communities -- has worked with students from the region's smaller communities who have come in for high school for many years.

"There is no residence as good as your home," he says when asked what his feelings were about grade extensions.

Students forced to come into Fort Simpson from the communities can sometimes be shaken by having to move away from home for studies.

"It depends on the kids who come in," Brown says. "Some are more mature than others. It also depends on the support they get at home."

While supportive of the concept of continuing to extend high school grades, Brown says there can sometimes be a catch.

"On the other shoe, as a regional centre, our school has a lot to offer that you can't find in the smaller schools," he says. "It's a tough call for anybody."

Staying home to graduate

Figures supplied by the GNWT's Department of Education again show the numbers speak for themselves in terms of the amount of students in the NWT now able to access high school in their home communities.

In 1990/91, 72 per cent of NWT students had access to Grade 10 at home. By the time the current school year arrived, this number had increased to 99 per cent.

For Grade 11, 63 per cent of NWT students could access the grade at home in 1990/91 and this had increased to 95 per cent by 1998/99.

As for the final year of high school, the numbers are again up. Ninety-five per cent of NWT students can now finish high school at home, compared to only 60 per cent in 1990/91.