After a three-year pilot project, the Beaufort Delta Education Council has decided to continue the K-1 initiative, a new way of teaching kindergarten and Grade 1 students.
A major part of the program includes full-day kindergarten rather than a half day.
Both teachers and parents found the kids were better students and readers thanks to the longer days. They expect these results will help students succeed in higher grades.
That's encouraging news in a territory where only 55 per cent of Grade 12 students graduate.
According to education department statistics, 278 NWT students graduated from high school in June 2003 out of 503 who were enroled in Grade 12 at the start of the school year.
Most of those graduates were in Yellowknife. They had the advantage of modern schools, a full slate of programs and a wider range of classroom support. Even in the NWT capital, however, only 152 of 216 graduated.
The graduation rate is even lower in small communities: 57 out of 168 Grade 12s who started the school year left in June with diplomas.
They're hampered by courses that are not nearly as challenging and broad, fewer teachers and fewer resources.
Small communities are where projects like the K-1 initiative can do the most good.
A report on the pilot project found that while literacy skills were improving, math skills weren't. With that knowledge comes the ability to address the math problem.
Other communities and regions, and the territorial government, too, need to look at this project and see how they can implement it across the territories.
Whether the initiative will translate into fewer drop-outs and a higher graduation rate in the years to come remains to be seen.
Whatever the result, the new program will help put education in the North on par with the South.
Concern voiced by some people in Kugluktuk over a community newsletter written by police sounds a bit like blaming the messenger.
RCMP there recently began publishing a newsletter filled with details about break and enters, domestic violence, all without names of course, and other assorted matters police in the community must deal with in the run of a week.
Written in plain language, the newsletter is a compelling read, one that paints a less-than-rosy picture of life in Nunavut's most Western community.
It isn't all bad. The police also use the letter to congratulate science fair participants, for example, and encourage people to live healthy lifestyles.
Town council in Kugluktuk is less than thrilled with the newsletter.
One councillor told Nunavut News/North the newsletter feels like "a black eye" to the community, a kick in the pants to those trying their hardest only to make life better in the region.
But in a region where both a wellness co-ordinator and a recreation worker were cut from the hamlet payroll in recent months, it is not a stretch to suggest that the community needs to look at how well it is coping with its social problems.
A new corrections-healing facility opening in Kugluktuk in August is going to make a big difference to the region, and solve many of the problems being addressed in the newsletter, said another councillor.
But if the community itself is unwell, then the finest corrections centre can only do so much, and house offenders for a time. Then what?
RCMP officers in Kugluktuk must be applauded for doing their part in getting news out there.
Every detachment in Nunavut should produce a newsletter.
It's a useful communications tool that creates understanding between police and residents about what RCMP really have to deal with on a regular basis.
It may be painful to see and read, but knowing and understanding the problems is the first step in solving them.
No one likes to have their dirty laundry aired in public, even if no names are attached to the stories.
The best way to avoid all those sordid details getting out there in the public is to behave yourself in the first place. Hopefully people will get that message.
The Kugluktuk detachment is on to something. Let's just hope they can keep it up long enough to see some changes for the better in the community.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Both Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) and the Government of Nunavut (GN) may want to open their eyes to the request brought forward by Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit (the Traditional Knowledge Council).
The council has a mandate to incorporate Inuit culture and values into the government.
The 11 members want to change the council's name because they feel it's misleading and outdated.
Basically, they're saying the past does lend itself easily to today's modern era.
And, by not saying anything at all, the vast majority of Nunavut's voters are saying exactly the same thing.
NTI acted even more surprised at the embarrassingly low turnout for its presidential race than the GN did for the territorial election.
And December's municipal elections in the Kivalliq produced some of the lowest voter-turnout numbers ever seen in what is regarded as a highly political region.
A change in direction
So, why is the number of voters continuing its downward spiral beneath the 40 per cent mark?
Well, the answer is not one NTI or some members of the GN want to hear.
The voting public has lost confidence in the direction Nunavut is being steered, which, all too often, is towards the past rather than embracing the present and planning for the future.
We are starting to hear a rising voice among Inuit parents who want to see their children better educated.
More and more parents are sending the message to our capital that they will pass on their proud culture, traditions and language to their children.
They want our education system to provide the learning tools necessary for our next generation of students to move forward.
Hope not handouts
NTI thought lowering its voting age to 16 would equate to teenagers turning out to cast their ballots simply because they could.
In short, NTI underestimated the youth in much the same way as those who would lower academic standards in this territory do.
The majority of Nunavummiut don't want a free ride. They want opportunity -- opportunity for better education, proper trades training, gainful employment and a brighter tomorrow than they have today.
Those among us who want none of these things, don't bother to vote anyway.
That's the cold truth of the matter, whether you like it or not.
But the majority who do are becoming frustrated and frustration is almost always followed by despair.
Nunavummiut need to see an honest attempt by our leaders to start moving our territory forward -- and they need to see it now.
The silence is deafening!
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
It is no secret that bad news dominates the headlines. Over the past several months, vandalism, homelessness and alcohol abuse have been issues covered in the paper.
Sometimes, it is difficult not to become cynical about the social problems that are the root of these issues and the great lengths that are gone in attempting to address them.
Community forums, workshops and think-tanks seem to be the order of the day, not only to shed light on the problems, but also to come up with ways in which to mitigate them.
The recent Applied Control Theory (ACT) workshop was one such example of a move towards a holistic approach to dealing with negative behaviour among the youth.
Using the premise of restitution as opposed to meting out punishment for poor behaviour, ACT is a proactive way to change youth behaviour for the better, and to change attitudes of educators, caregivers and even law enforcement members when it comes to handling what the cynical often refer to as an unmanageable situation.
Apart from the benefits of the workshop itself, perhaps the most positive aspect was the fact so many different organizations and agencies in town sent representatives to attend.
This shows a commitment from all ends of the community to band together to get the job done.
Nevertheless, it is all too easy to get bogged down in theory and forget the most important element to any kind of personal betterment.
This is taking responsibility for one's actions and wanting to make change, rather than being forced to or coddled in that direction.
All the seminars, workshops and social agencies in the world are not going to affect change unless those who need help want to do it for themselves.
While it's true that the youth often need guidance to understand this concept, it is a message that needs to be hammered home to those who should know better.
When it comes to the wayward youth, often the excuse is that their parents want to be better at parenting, but just do not have the skills required.
The first part to solving a problem is identifying that there is one in the first place. And for those parents who know they lack parenting skills, there are places they can reach out to for help. However, that first step needs to be taken.
This week I had the pleasure of meeting an individual who has taken more than the first step. After talking with him for a time, I soon realized that he's gone leaps and bounds towards reaching his goals.
"I knew that if I hung around in those small communities, I'd be drinking or doing drugs and who knows what else," he said.
These days, this fellow, who comes from an isolated community in Nunavut, is enroled in the Criminal Justice Program at Aurora College with an eye to eventually becoming an RCMP officer.
His enthusiasm and positive outlook on life should be an inspiration to all of us.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
It's hard not to have a nagging feeling that something detrimental is going to come from Fort Simpson village council's move towards the elimination of liquor rationing.
There have been a number of strong points made in favour of dumping the measure. Many councillors have noted that it was imposed on Fort Simpson by a Commissioner's decree a few decades ago and therefore wasn't democratically adopted.
There are those who simply find alcohol purchase limitations a hassle.
Although it's been argued that the removal of rationing will result in more problems associated with drunkenness, some people - including Premier Joe Handley who has gone on the record as saying so - believe you can't lead others around by the hand.
They are adults who must be responsible for their own actions, is how Handley put it.
It's true that we can only do so much in terms of prevention. Limiting people's access to booze likely averts some problems but how far do you take it? Do you turn away good-paying jobs that come with the industry? Look at the situation in Fort Liard. There is no liquor outlet there, there isn't even a bar in the community. Yet when all the money began flowing with oil and gas development, the amount of alcohol, drugs and related crime rose substantially.
On the other hand, there are people who callously suggest that we all know who the drunks are in town. Yes, there are indeed those who are commonly seen staggering down Fort Simpson's streets. But what's the point of such a snide remark, that their lives are worth less because of their struggle with a pernicious disease?
There are also reformed alcoholics who are susceptible to falling off the wagon. It's disturbing to see people whom you've come to know and respect as productive citizens -- role models, in one respect -- falter, again consumed by their overpowering addiction. Some of these people have families at home who rely on them.
Children brought up in such an environment are surely more prone to falling into the same trap themselves, perpetuating the cycle. It's sad but rationing doesn't seem to stop that sort of thing from happening.
With the doors blown wide open on alcohol availability -- essentially only limited by a person's cash on hand or the amount of credit available -- will some people drink themselves into oblivion?
The speculation and debate could drag on forever. We'll only know what the effects will be when the taps are open once again.
This much is for sure: once a rationing decision is made, we're all going to live with the consequences, good and bad.