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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...NewsstudentleisurecentreforAuroraCollegeTheThebachaCampusofAuroraCollegeinFortSmithopenedthedoorsofitsnewstudentleisurecentrelastweekacentrethatincludesanumberofpooltablesshufeboardgamestelevisionandvideogamescompletewithcouchesandrestingareas.IssueSeptember22199820YearsAgo...Bearhidefoundabandonedonroadside.TheDepartmentofRenewableResourcesinFortSmithdiscoveredanabandonedbearhidebySaltMountainonHighway5onlyonedayafterinvestigatingthewastageof40poundsofmoosemeat.Thehidewasleftwiththeheadintactthemeatremovedandtheinnardsabandoned.IssueSeptember22199330YearsAgo...FurinstitutetobeformedWildlifeministersfromacrossCanadahaveagreedtosetupanagencytopromotethefurmarketwhichhasrunintohardtimes.OrganizersarenowworkingfuriouslytosetuptheFurInstitutebyOct.1.IssueSeptember2219834TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21djnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caAdministration............CarolMacPherson867-872-3000ext.29adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.26designnorj.caTuesdaySeptember242013AfailinggradeforeducationWethinkoureducationsystemshouldgetabigredF.Aboriginalyouthtoooftendonotben-etfromthesystem.Themalaisethathasledtopoorstay-in-schoolratesandevenpoorergraduationnumbersamongFirstNationkidsisappalling.Thishaslongbeenrecognizedyetlittlethatiseffectiveisbeingdoneaboutit.Tobefairthereisagenuineongo-ingeffortandsomegainsarebeingmadebutnotenough.ThisistrueoftheschoolsystemthroughouttheNWTandisatleastasbadintheNorthlandSchoolDivisionwithits24schoolsintinyAboriginalcommunitiesacrossnorthernAlberta.WesuspectthatFirstNationkidsaregettingaterribledealineducationnomatterwheretheyliveinCanada.Pleasenotethecontextofthisblan-ketdenunciationMostofoureducationadministratorsarecompetentdiligentandinsomecasesbrilliant-generallytryingtheirdamnedesttobringaboutchange.Wearealsofortunatetohavewonderfullydedicatedcaringteacherstryingtheirverybesttodeliverqualityeducation.Theproblemisdeepersystemicandmultifacetedinvolvingalackofvisionbyleadersandafundamentallackofen-gagementbyparents.Progressisalsorestrictedbyracialtension.Generallyweneedtobemoresavvyabouthowtoeducateyoutheffectively.Letsbreakthatdown1.Weallknowsuccessinschoolisenhancedifparentsstarttheeducationprocessinthehomewiththeirchildrenataveryearlyage.Fartoooftenthatdoesnothappen.Itshould-inbothEnglishandforFirstNationsfamiliesinAboriginallanguagesaswell.Toomanyparentsarenotengagedormo-tivatedsotheirkidsmissout.Workisneededtochangethatbuttheeffortispaltryatbest.Considerthegreatsuccessinvirtuallyeliminatingsmok-ingoneofthegreatachievementsforoursocietyinthelastcentury.Thatac-complishmentisproofthattargetedso-cialchangeforthegoodcanhappen.Dramaticallyreducingsmokingtothepointthatitisnowmarginaltookabout50years.Wecandoatleastaswellingettingparentstoreadtotheiryoungchildrenandhelpprovideafoundationforeducationbutwehavetobemorepurposefulandeffective.2.Thereisbothalackofvisionandcourageatthetoptoinstituteseriouschange.ForexampleNWTEducationMinisterJacksonLaffertyhashintedhedoesnotlikethesocialpromotionap-proachthatenablesstudentswithpooracademicperformancetopassgradessomethingmanypeopleareconcernedabout.WillsomethingbedoneThealternativetheoldtest-then-pass-or-failapproachthatinvolvesrepeat-inggradesforthosewhoaresloweracademicallyhasitsownissues.Thesubjectiscontroversialwithadvocatesonbothsidesforgoodreason.Mean-whiletoomanyyouthtryingtoentertheworkforcearehandcuffedbylim-itedskills.TheoldwaywasimperfectthenewapproachnotmuchbettersowhattodoPerhapswhatisneededisathirdoptionbutthatrequiresvisioncreativethinkingandseriouseffort.Thereareupcomingeducationhear-ingsintheNWTaboutbullyingwhichisahotitemthesedaysagainforgoodreasonbutwhataboutsocialpassingtheerosionofAboriginallanguagesandtheabsenceofAboriginalcultureinoureducationsystemPublicinputisneededonthoseaswell.Newap-proachesareneededtoresolvethoseissues.Makingthathappentakesin-spiredpurposefulleadership.3.PredictablyAboriginallanguagesexceptinrarecaseswillbeallbutgoneinafewgenerations.FirstNationscul-tureembattledinCanadaforovertwohundredyearshasbeenrevivedsome-whatbutonlysupercially.Aboriginalleaderstalkuptheproblembutlittleisdone.Creatinganewseparateeduca-tionsystembasedonAboriginalcultureisnotasitstandsaviableprospect.Whatispossibleisfornativeandnon-nativeNorthernerstomakeimprove-mentstothecurrentsystembywork-ingtogether.FirstNationleadersneedtorecognizesuchapartnershipisnec-essarytocounteractthevilelegacyofresidentialschools.IntroducingAborigi-nalcultureintotheschoolsonalargerscalewouldbenetallNorthernyouthandenhanceevenstrengthenqualityofeducation.Perhapsthereinliesthatthirdoption-ameansbywhichmorestudentsbecomeengagedinlearning.Betterknowledgeofthelandandastrongerconnectiontoandrespectfornature-thatmakesstudentshealthierandinvigoratestheirminds-howcouldthatnotbegoodThosepointsaskforalot-dramaticchangeinfact.Thatiswhatisneeded.Childrenareourmostimportantresourceyetinthisrapidlychangingworldwedotoolittletoevolveandrenethesystemthatenablesthemintothefuture.Thereissomuchtodobutalsosomuchthatcanbedone.PhotosChrisandJoannaWestwellFortSmithTowncouncillorChrisWestwellandhiswifeJoannaarepleasedwiththebumpercropofvegetablestheirgardenproducedthissummer.Theexceptionalgrowingseasonhasmadeharvesttimeabusyone.