Fort Simpson (Feb 11/05) - A new strategic plan for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) will be in place by early summer, according to Minister Charles Dent.

The department has been seeking feedback from the public across the five regions of the NWT since December. These information gathering sessions will wrap up next week with contractor Chuck Tulley visiting the Sahtu.

Ideas have come from participants from school systems, cultural and heritage organizations, industry, social advocacy and aboriginal groups through surveys and focus group sessions.

The new plan will guide the direction of programs and services provided by ECE for the next 10 years.

The NWT and the mandate of ECE has changed considerably since the last 10-year plan was put in place, said Dent.

"It was time to look at redoing our strategic plan and making sure that we're focused in the areas that the public wants to see us focus on," he said.

More than 1,500 survey responses have been received so far. They were made available to the public by mail and through ECE's Web site. They are still available to anyone interested in filling one out.

So far, the public has asked for more emphasis on issues like early childhood education, income security and adult training, said Dent.

He expects analysis of the feedback to be complete by the end of March.

"The goal is to have it out to the general public as soon as possible," he said.