The NWT's graduation rate for the 2023 school year was just under 60 per cent, according to a recently-released territorial government report.
"The 2023 graduation rate was 59 per cent, which reflects a slight increase from 2022, which had a graduation rate of 56 per cent," said Briony Grabke, a spokesperson for the GNWT's Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE). "The six-year graduation rate in the NWT has remained relatively steady over the last decade."
Among Indigenous students specifically, the graduation rate is even lower. Only 44 per cent of Indigenous students graduated in 2023 — much lower than the 87 per cent graduation rate among non-Indigenous students.
In terms of specific regions, the graduation rate for Yellowknife was 71 per cent, which marks a four per cent increase from the previous year. For regional centres, the graduation rate dropped from 65 per cent to 57.
Attendance was also down in the NWT in 2023. The attendance rate for the academic year was 73.3 per cent, which means that, on average, students missed more than one day of school per week.
The decline in attendance marks the continuation of a downward trend that began in the 2018-19 school year.
ECE intends to address the territory's low graduation and attendance rates in a number of ways, most of which relate to "having engaging curriculum that is relevant to [students]," according to Grabke.
"Genuine education is rooted in place and culture," she said. "Culture-based education and programs developed in the NWT allow us to respect the different ways of knowing and learning of students, and better meet their needs.
"The GNWT is also implementing the NWT adapted curriculum in partnership with British Columbia. B.C. is one of the top performers in education among all the provinces, according to the Conference Board of Canada, and is one of the first in the country to focus on competency-driven learning that builds on students’ natural curiosity and creativity.
"We’ve also seen recent success with a partnership between the GNWT and Douglas College (based in New Westminster, B.C.) to pilot an education assistance and inclusion certificate, which saw 24 graduates this month. Program material was customized for the NWT context, ensuring relevant and practical learning. The courses and practicums equipped NWT support assistants with specialized skills to promote student well-being, development and educational success."
While the Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education System Performance Measures Technical Report sheds light on some key areas for improvement, it also outlines some positive developments, notably an increase in the number of students involved in Indigenous language courses, which climbed to 3,299. Of them, 670 were in Yellowknife, 923 were in other regional centres, and 1,706 were in small communities.
"In the 2020-21 school year, the Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 Our Languages Curriculum was implemented in schools across the NWT, which has improved access to Indigenous language learning for students," said Grabke. "In addition, the Indigenous Languages and Education Handbook has added an increased focus on ensuring that Indigenous languages are heard and spoken throughout school, at assemblies and in NWT classrooms through a whole school approach to Indigenous language use in all NWT schools."
"The 2022-23 school year had the highest number of Indigenous language course enrolments in Yellowknife and regional centres. The department worked with education bodies to standardize and streamline data collection for Indigenous language courses in the 2022-23 school year, which provides a more representative picture of language enrolment."
In a news release announcing the publication of the education report, Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland pledged that the GNWT will "continue to collaborate with education bodies, communities, families, and Indigenous governments to address the gaps identified in this annual report, and support NWT students as they learn and grow.”
Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan, however, voiced concerns about the quality of education being offered in the NWT. Speaking during the May 23 sitting of the legislative assembly, Morgan pointed out that some residents of the territory still struggle with reading and writing.
"We focus in our mandate on skills training, workforce development, and entrepreneurship, but I want us to step back," she said. "Are we successfully teaching our young people how to read and write? Are we teaching them how to figure out basic math problems? How many adults do we have who may be struggling to get work because they do not have enough reading and writing and math skills to be able to function independently in their lives?
"There are many factors inside and outside the classroom that are causing this problem, but none are insurmountable if we tackle each one systematically," Morgan added. "No one can focus on learning if they're hungry or if they do not feel safe at home. Many children have learning disabilities. Some have brains that work differently. But there are tools and best practices that we know have been shown to help in other parts of the world, so let's get serious about implementing them here."