Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FORT LIARD (Feb 26/99) - Grade 11 students in Fort Liard are doing something this year that they couldn't do before -- receiving schooling in their own community.

Fort Liard's Echo Dene school has 18 students registered as part of its Grade 11 class, which follows the Alberta distance learning modules. Previously, students from Fort Liard had to go to Fort Simpson in order to complete high school.

To date, teacher Pat May said her students have completed English, Social Studies and Workplace Safety courses. They are currently working on Math, Science, Career and Life Management (CALM) and are beginning Northern studies.

The students work from modules, or workbooks, usually ranging between seven and eight per subject. They also receive assignment books. There are tests at the end of each unit and a final exam or a final project for each subject.

"They're very good, very strong, independent workers, most of them," May said of her students. "They've adapted to this program."

When the students encounter problems, it's May's job to help them. It requires a great degree of general knowledge to be able to guide the students through the program, May admitted. She periodically has to call on her 26 years of teaching experience, which has encompassed every grade level. She also has her colleagues as resources, she noted. But when it comes down to it, the explanations in the workbooks tend to be quite thorough, she said.

For example, last Friday afternoon, student Koty Loe was working on an experiment to build a conductivity tester from one of the science modules. Lab kits are sent when special materials are required, but in this case the materials were easy to find -- an "AA" battery, a light bulb, a light bulb socket, electrical tape, insulated copper wire and steel wool. Within minutes Loe was able to place a wire at each end of the battery and the light would go on if there was any power left in it.

"It explains all the points pretty good," said Loe, adding that the experiments work "most of the time."

Students Derwin Kotchea and Patrick Nagy agreed that the Grade 11 class is relatively easy to follow and allowed them some flexibility.

"It's not too bad. It's going pretty smooth," said Kotchea.

If students don't show up for class but inform May that they have work commitments, she said she'll excuse them, but still expects them to get their school work done.

"If they just take off, they're truant...Their success depends almost entirely on what they're willing to do," she said.

May said she has a lot of respect for students in their 20s who come back to complete their schooling. She said some have even sought her out in the community or at home to get help with their school work.

"They're very interested. They want that piece of paper (diploma)," she said. "A lot of these kids are the backbone of the local employer."

Echo Dene school is hoping to make Grade 12 available through the same method next year, according to May. The difficulty will be finding room. The Grade 11 class this year has already been relegated to the home economics room. When everyone shows up, there's really not enough space to accommodate them, May conceded. However, renovations are expected in the near future.