K'ATLODEECHE/HAY RIVER RESERVE - Except for one notable voice of dissent, participants were generally upbeat at the conclusion of last week's South Slave forum on improving aboriginal student achievement – part of a territorial series of gatherings sponsored by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Clara Sabourin, a member of the K'atlodeeche First Nation District Education Authority, looks over information distributed at the South Slave Minister's Regional Forum on Aboriginal Student Achievement, held April 5 and 6 on the Hay River Reserve. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

The vast majority said the GNWT is on the right track with its four priorities for closing and eventually eliminating the gap between the performance of aboriginal and non-aboriginal students.

The four priorities discussed at the gathering – officially known as the South Slave Minister's Regional Forum on Aboriginal Student Achievement – were early childhood and child care, student and family support, aboriginal language curriculum and resource development, and literacy.

Participants in the forum on the Hay River Reserve were asked for their opinions on the four priorities.

"I personally think the four priorities they've identified are right on," said Curtis Brown, superintendent of the South Slave Divisional Education Council.

Doug Lamalice, vice-chair of the K'atlodeeche First Nation District Education Authority, said the government is listening to the people.

"To me, we're on the right track," he said.

Fort Resolution Mayor Elizabeth Ann McKay, who also chairs the community's district education authority, said the forum is a stepping stone to work on the problem.

"I'm really happy the government has opened the doors for us," McKay said. "It hasn't occurred before."

Angie Lantz, chair of the Lutsel K'e District Education Authority, also believes in the plan, but with some caution.

"If the government is going to implement it and not shelve it, then we are in the right direction," Lantz said. "If not, then I think it's just a fruitless exercise."

The dissent came from Chief Roy Fabian of K'atlodeeche First Nation, who argued the priorities will not help preserve Dene languages and culture.

"If we don't change this process, then the language and the culture are going to die," he said.

Fabian argued for Dene immersion in schools, specifically for kindergarten to Grade 6.

"If we want Dene children who are strong in the language and strong in the culture, we're going to have to do it by immersion," he said. "That's my message."

Fabian believes Dene immersion will eventually happen.

In fact, he said he will be arguing for Dene immersion at his reserve's Chief Sunrise Education Centre.

The forum was presented with a number of facts and figures illustrating the problem with aboriginal student achievement. Most notably, it was told 44 per cent of aboriginal students graduate high school, compared to 70 per cent of non-aboriginal students. In addition, absenteeism was mentioned as another major problem.

The South Slave forum is the fifth in a series of six regional forums taking place throughout this school year with the goal of developing a co-ordinated approach to improving academic performance among aboriginal children.

It brought together department officials, educators, representatives of aboriginal governments, elders, parents, youth, MLAs, and representatives of the South Slave Divisional Education Council and the five district education authorities in the region.

Feedback from all forums will help direct the development of the department's Aboriginal Student Achievement Education Plan.

"We want to hear the people. We want to hear their ideas on how we can improve our education system overall," said Education, Culture and Employment Minister Jackson Lafferty, who attended the first day of the South Slave forum.

Beginning in September, five other forums have already been held in Yellowknife, the Sahtu, Tlicho and Deh Cho regions.

The final regional forum will take place in Inuvik for the Beaufort-Delta region from May 3 to 5.

"Part of the goal is to provide the overall recommendation, the voices of the North, into the legislative assembly during the spring session in May and June," Lafferty said.

The minister said changes will be started by the current government, both through internal resources and budget allocations.

"We need to start planning towards our next budget-planning cycle," he said. "I'm very excited and I think a lot of people in the North are excited, as well. This is the first of its kind."

In addition, he said the information gathered through the forums will be passed on to the next territorial government.

"I'm hoping the new government will take this into full force as a foundation, as part of the voice of the North," Lafferty said. "It's very crucial that we need to move forward on this."

On April 7, immediately following the minister's forum, community members from around the South Slave met to start developing education action plans specific to each community.

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