Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 02/99) - It seemed like a good idea at the time, but trying to provide a quality high school education in a small community proved a difficult task.

Deline is currently working on a comprehensive plan to send 30 students back to Yellowknife to attend high school.

Deline chief land claims agreement negotiator, Danny Gaudet, said the idea is to use money gained through their land claim agreement to buy an apartment building or condo complex in Yellowknife to house the students.

"Basically, we have to convince the Sahtu regional board that our students would perform better in Yellowknife," Gaudet said.

"The communities that have settled land claims have a certain amount of money that can be invested. There was only so much we could do here so we're looking to invest in Yellowknife."

For decades, students from many outlying regions were attending school in Yellowknife, but in the early '90s, some communities elected to handle the task themselves. The move was done, in part, because they found students were getting homesick and were not performing well in the boarding situation that was set up.

Deline's proposal to buy a dwelling would ensure the living arrangements they send their students into reflects their community's unique culture and heritage.

"We're finding there is not the resources here to teach our students properly. The high school years are extremely important and we're finding moving students back to Deline was worse for our youth, not better," Gaudet said. "We want to move our grades 10, 11 and 12 students to Yellowknife. It would give the kids the opportunity to do better. What the individual does with the opportunity is up to them, but we want each one of our youth to have the best chance to succeed."

Gaudet met with Yellowknife Mayor Dave Lovell to discuss the proposal. Lovell said after the meeting that he's prepared to get behind the idea.

"I'm in support of it because it's something that would benefit both the host community and the sending community," Lovell said.

"It would provide Yellowknife and its students with the benefit of different cultural experiences and Deline students would receive an excellent education."

He was also quick to point out the city stands to benefit financially, especially if other communities follow Deline's example.

"It's the wave of the future. It's one thing having students drive in from Prelude, but quite another to have students staying in apartments and attending school here," Lovell said.

"Those communities that elect to take this route will be buying property here and using the stores, which makes our community more vibrant."

Yellowknife school district superintendent, Ken Woodley, said they would welcome the opportunity to provide quality education to those who wish to access services here.

"It's not going to pose a problem, as long as we have space," Woodley said.

"Our primary mandate is to serve Yellowknife residents first but if we have (the space) to handle more students, we'll be glad to help."

He added Sir John Franklin high school has about 650 students enrolled. It can handle almost 100 more.

When NWT Teachers' Association president, Pat Thomas, heard of the proposal she said it wasn't that long ago that the move to community schools was made.

"It's my hope that they've given community schools a chance and the support they need to succeed," Thomas said.

"I don't believe a student's education has to suffer if they're educated in their home region with the support of the parents and community."

Gaudet said the idea is still in the planning stage but it looks like it will proceed.

"We're in the preliminary stage but we have received support from the community and we should have a final proposal ready by June," he said.