Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Thursday, January 17, 2008

ACHO DENE/FORT LIARD - Echo Dene school in Fort Liard is trying a new approach to help residents achieve their Grade 12 graduation certificate.

One area of concern that has been identified in the community is the sporadic attendance of high school students, said Victor Dikaitis, the school's principal.

Students end up falling so far behind that they leave the school before finishing their diploma. To entice back residents of any age who haven't finished Grade 12, the school launched an outreach program in October.

"It's an attempt on our parts to try and get them back," said Dikaitis.

The program is using a non-conventional method to help people work through whatever courses they need to graduate. Each course is broken up into modules that students can work through one at a time. If a student has to leave for awhile they can pick back up where they left off when they return, Dikaitis said.

"You don't experience failure because of lack of attendance," said Dikaitis.

Dikaitis hopes the non-conventional system will be a drawing card. It shows that the school isn't hung up on traditional methods of delivery, he said.

"We're trying to make the program for them as flexible and innovate as we can," said Dikaitis.

The flexible time schedule means people aren't forced to choose between an education and other activities including hunting and work or personal responsibilities, he said.

Dikaitis was introduced to the module method while working at a school in British Columbia and later implemented it in Deline at the Ehtseo Ayha school. The school had an increase in graduating students because of it, he said.

So far five community members in Fort Liard have joined the program. Dikaitis hopes that three to four more people will come forward.

"The opportunity is there and we encourage them to take it," he said.

The outreach program isn't alone in the Deh Cho.

A program designed to help people achieve Grade 12 graduation certificates has also been offered for a number of years at Deh Gah school in Fort Providence. The program at Deh Gah school has been successful and a number of adults who have been out of school for long periods of time have graduated, said Nolan Swartzentruber, the superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council.

The council supports helping former students finish Grade 12, he said. Students are only required to attend school until they are 16 and the council doesn't receive funding to educate people over the age of 21 but they aren't cut off, said Swartzentruber.

"We want to try and help anyone we can who wants to complete that milestone in their life," said Swartzentruber.

The council is willing to try different ideas that help people reach that point. Having unique programs that are specifically tailored to a community and individuals is one way to achieve that, he said.

"If we can create an environment that entices them and keeps them in school then let's do that," said Swartzentruber.

Swartzentruber said although the approaches may vary between schools, the requirements for graduation and the curriculum standards stay the same.

"It's pretty demanding," said Swartzentruber.

As for why people leave in the first place, Swartzentruber said there are a wide variety of personal reasons that stop students from finishing Grade 12 on schedule.

Many people who don't finish, however, later find that they need the diploma. It's very difficult to start a career in any field if you don't have Grade 12, he said.

Making programs relevant both culturally and academically helps to attract people back. The approach may take longer but if students are happy with the results, then it's worth it, he said.

"We wish them success. We want to do everything we can to help them," Swartzentruber said.