LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - The role that parents, communities and schools can and need to play in language revitalization was one of the primary topics discussed when Deh Cho educators, First Nation leaders, students and community members gathered for three days.

Minister of Education Jackson Lafferty addresses his closing comments to the Deh Cho educators, students, leaders and community members who participated in the three-day Aboriginal Student Achievement Forum in Fort Simpson. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The third in a series of six regional Aboriginal Student Achievement Forums was held in Fort Simpson from Jan. 5 to 7.

Through the forums, the territorial Department of Education, Culture and Employment is gathering feedback and ideas on the Aboriginal Student Achievement Education Plan.

The product of a working group formed by the department in 2009, the plan is a collaborative effort to eliminate the achievement gap between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal students in the NWT.

It's necessary to have a plan, said Terry Jaffray, the superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council.

Educators have been talking about the gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students for more than 30 years, Jaffray said. The forum provided a welcomed opportunity for educators, leaders and community members to share their opinions and suggestions for strategies to improve the chances of aboriginal students. The forum encouraged all the groups to share the responsibility of educating the kids, she said.

Language and culture and the importance of providing real situations where students can learn and practice their language was one of the primary topics of discussion, Jaffray said.

Participants spoke about the need to have fluent South Slavey speakers to teach the language and the need to move away from the non-aboriginal method of teaching language that involves a few hours of classes a week.

The issue of attendance was also at the forefront of the forum.

"Kids have to be at school to learn," Jaffray said.

Many people spoke about their frustration with getting students to school and keeping them there. Potential strategies ranged from truant officers to more hands-on programs in schools that are in tune with students, she said.

A third area that was focused on was parental involvement. Parents recognize they need to be involved in their children's education and educators need to find the best ways to communicate to parents how they can do that, Jaffray said.

On the third day of the forum representatives from each Deh Cho community worked together to develop strategies they can implement in their communities to support aboriginal achievement.

Jaffray said she felt positive about the progress that was being made.

"Hopefully it's going to provide a basis that we can all go back to our communities and continue the discussion," she said.

An ongoing discussion that spreads into the communities is exactly what Jackson Lafferty, the minister of education, would like to see.

The discussion has to continue in the communities because it will take everyone working in partnership for the plan to succeed, he said.

A key part of Lafferty's goal is the revitalization of language and culture. He'd like to see grandfathers be able to have conversations with their grandchildren in their own language. This will require full-fledged immersion programs, the involvement of elders and leaders and fluent speakers.

"It will take some time," he said.

"We have to do it together. That's why we're all here."

Lafferty hopes to have a document by April, built from the ideas heard at the regional forums. Each region is unique, but the Aboriginal Student Achievement Education Plan will focus on key things that can be done to make a difference. Funding will then have to be identified at the territorial or federal level, he said.

This is a long-term plan that will provide both a foundation and a legacy, said Jackson.

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