Education Minister Caroline Cochrane was blunt in the legislative assembly on Aug. 13: The territorySA国际影视传媒檚 school system is SA国际影视传媒渇ailingSA国际影视传媒� the children of the NWT, and it was the next assemblySA国际影视传媒檚 responsibility to fix it.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur children are our future. We keep saying that,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚f we really believe that as a society, we have to put our energy, we have to put resources behind that, and the next government has to focus more on that.SA国际影视传媒�

Cochrane cited NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 low graduation rates, which Statistics Canada reported were 55 per cent in the 2015-16 school year SA国际影视传媒� that sitSA国际影视传媒檚 at 24 per cent lower than the national average.

She also noted the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 low early development index, indicating persistent vulnerability among young children in the NWT. Based on numbers from the GNWT, 42.1 per cent of children in the territory were vulnerable under the indexSA国际影视传媒檚 measures of physical health and well-being, emotional maturity, communication skills and general knowledge, social competence, language and cognitive development.

Those challenges are more acute in smaller communities. The GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 report on early development found almost two thirds of children in communities were considered vulnerable. And a GNWT fact sheet stated graduation rates were SA国际影视传媒渃onsistently lower in our small communities, which dropped by 12 (per cent) in 2015.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒�(A full educational review) is needed across the Northwest Territories,SA国际影视传媒� she told MLAs in last TuesdaySA国际影视传媒檚 assembly.

She added that strategic leadership was lacking in key areas: Some districtSA国际影视传媒檚 educational authorities donSA国际影视传媒檛 use long-term plans. SA国际影视传媒淭hat is not okay,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淗ow can you actually do a strategic plan if you don't have long-term plans?SA国际影视传媒�

Concerns over an ailing education system is nothing new. Challenges were apparent in the 2015-16 test results in the territory.

Out of the total community enrolment, 27.1 and 17.7 per cent achieved acceptable results on their ELA (English Language Arts) tests, respectively in Grade 6 and 9. And 20.7 and 8 per cent of students in the communities outside of Yellowknife achieved acceptable results in their tests in Grade 6 and 9, respectively.

Excluding absentees or incomplete tests partially improves those results, but conversely leads back to underlying issues of poor school attendance. Regarding those late rates, Cochrane said in May SA国际影视传媒淓verybody SA国际影视传媒� has been blaming everybody elseSA国际影视传媒� over the poor attendance impeding student success.

Tackling these issues should be a priority for the next government, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚 don't know who will be in the House, but I am hopeful that one of the regular MLAs or Cabinet will actually grab this and bring it forward because I think it is time,SA国际影视传媒� said Cochrane.