The Department of Education, Culture and Employment was established in August 1992 with the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Culture and Communications.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has been responsible for the following: providing school programs and services; museums and heritage programs; public library services, television and radio programs and services; culture and language programs and services; public and private sector training, income support programming, post-secondary education and college programs and services. The department's objective is to enable the people of the Northwest Territories to reach their full potential and to contribute to the cultural, social and economic development of the Northwest Territories.
The Directorate and Administration Activity provides for the overall management and administrative support under the direction of the Deputy Minister who recommends the goals, objectives and standards of the department to the Minister. This includes strategic planning, development of legislation and policy, budget co-ordination, capital planning, financial services and systems support. It is also responsible for leading government-wide reform and transfer of income support programs to interested communities and enhancing the creation of sustainable jobs through a number of programs and services, such as the labour force plan.
The Advanced Education Activity operated between 1993-1994; it combined all major government-training functions within the department. This involved the administration of the Public Service Career Training Program, Employment and Post Secondary Student Financial Assistance Programs, as well as the monitoring and setting standards for continuing education. The Student Services Division, which was part of this activity, began decentralizing its counseling services to Career Centres within various regions in 1993-1994. The Advanced Education Activity coordinated literacy projects and delivered the following adult training programs: the Northwest Territories Apprenticeship Training Program, Construction Worker Training Program, Training On-the-Job Program and Short Term Employment Program. Education and employment training for social assistance clients, training for present and future government employees, college diploma and certificate programs, short-term skill training courses and university transfer programs were delivered by this activity. College programs administered by Arctic College were also funded under this activity. Arctic College delivered education programs geared specifically to the needs of the northern workforce and economy. In 1994-1995, the College completed its decentralization by establishing head offices in Iqaluit and Fort Smith. This resulted in one college serving the Nunavut area and one serving the western portions of the Northwest Territories. The College operated with funds received from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The College also generated its own funding from tuition fees, room and board charges, investment income and contracts with organizations for the delivery of training.
The Culture Activity delivered programs with a cultural emphasis such as the Museums/Heritage program, Public Library Services, Television and Radio Services and the Language Bureau. The Museums/Heritage program was responsible for collecting, preserving, researching, documenting and presenting the cultural and natural history of the Northwest Territories. This function was achieved through museum and archival programs at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and the Northwest Territories Archives, as well as through the provision of advice, technical support and financial contributions supporting community heritage projects. Other territorial programs administered by the activity included archaeological resource management and the geographic names research program. Library Services provided some financial assistance to community libraries through grants and contributions programs. The service provided funding to municipal councils for the operation of library programs, as well as the training of local staff through regional and distance education courses. The Language Bureau provided interpretation, translation and other communications services to the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Legislative Assembly in all official languages of the Northwest Territories, except Cree. The Language Bureau included both an aboriginal language and French language section. Aboriginal languages broadcasting and community services were the major focus of Television and Radio Services. This service was involved in the production and broadcasting of programs through Television Northern Canada (TVNC) and provided contributions to community broadcasting societies and regional native communications societies to support the production and broadcast of culturally relevant radio and television programs in aboriginal languages. Television and Radio Services was also responsible for the maintenance of television and radio facilities in 27 small communities throughout the Northwest Territories. The Culture Activity combined with the Advanced Education Activity in 1995-96 to become the Culture and Careers Division. However, Library Services and Television and Radio Services became the responsibility of the Educational Development Division and formed the basis for Information Networks.
In 1994-1995, the Culture and Careers Branch was created by combining programs and services related to Culture and Heritage, Museums, Language Bureau, Colleges and Continuing Education, Career Development and Student Financial Assistance, Employment Support programs, Human Resources Development for Government of the Northwest Territories employees and Child Day Care. This branch intended to increase flexibility for their programs and services in order to allow communities and regions to have a greater role in determining their own priorities. The division was responsible for a long-term plan for human resource development, which included mining industry training programs, career counseling for community staff and youth employment initiatives. In 1999-2000, this division was renamed Advanced Education and Careers Division when the programs and services related to culture, arts, heritage, museums and language were moved to the Educational Development Division which was then renamed the Education and Culture Division. The Advanced Education and Careers branch provided a range of programs and services related to career development, employment development and support programs, the College, continuing education and income support. The branch continued to coordinate human resource development activities across the Government of the Northwest Territories.
The Educational Development Branch, formerly the Schools Activity, oversaw the delivery of K-12 schooling, inclusive schooling and residence programs; development and implementation of K-9 curricula; the implementation of secondary curricula adapted from Alberta and the monitoring and evaluation of school jurisdictions. This division was also responsible for the delivery of professional training programs; support for the development and delivery of early childhood programs; and the development of public information and distance learning systems, including public libraries; television, radio and internet services. The Educational Development Branch placed an emphasis on the community development of programs, improved access and the use of aboriginal languages and student support. Between 1995-1996, Library Services and Television and Radio Services were moved from the Culture Activity to the Education Development Branch to form the basis for Information Networks. The focus of Information Networks was to cooperate with other Government of the Northwest Territories departments and private sector organizations in order to improve telecommunications links to communities. The department provided information and system training, as well as providing for the establishment of interconnecting networks for all educational institutions and municipal networks in all communities with more than one educational institution. This division was renamed the Education and Culture Branch in 1999-2000, when the cultural, arts, heritage, museums and language programs were transferred from the Culture and Careers Division.
In 2005-2006, there were three major changes that impacted Education, Culture and Employment. The first change was establishment of an Official Languages Division based on recommendations made in a report by the Special Committee on Official Languages to the Legislative Assembly. The recommendations were accepted by the Legislative Assembly and served as the basis for a number of adjustment to the Official Languages Act; establishment of the Official Languages Board and the Aboriginal Language Revitalization Board; publication of an annual Official Languages Report and the issuance of the Aboriginal Culture and Language Directive for school authorities. The report also called for the establishment of an organizational structure to lead the GNWT involvement in language matters. As a result, effective April 1 2005 a Languages Division was established that reported to the Deputy Minister. This Division will serve a leadership role in language policy and regulatory matters. As well, Division staff will direct the coordination of language activities across the GNWT. In 2005, the GNWT also decided to consolidate labour services functions with employment activities. As of April 1, 2005 the Labour Services Unit and responsibility of the Labour Standards Board, were transferred from the Department of Justice to Education, Culture and Employment. The third change that came into effect on April 1, 2005 was the transfer of public housing and rent subsidies from the NWT Housing Corporation to the Department. This action was linked to the broader initiative of the GNWT and legislators to establish a general policy framework for all income security programs and to consolidate programs where possible.
Before the transfer of government to Yellowknife in 1967, the Federal Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) held the responsibility for education in the Northwest Territories. Upon the creation of a Territorial government, a Department of Education was established under the direction of B. C. Gillie and education functions were gradually transferred from the Federal Government. On April 1, 1969, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) assumed the responsibility for education in the Mackenzie District and took over the responsibility in the Eastern Arctic on April 1, 1970.
The function of the Department of Education was the provision of education and training programs and facilities in the Northwest Territories. Its main responsibilities were to provide primary, elementary, and secondary education for school age children and technical, vocational, business, and post-secondary programs as well as literacy, upgrading and life skills for adults. In addition, residential accommodations were provided to students continuing their schooling beyond the level provided in their community and funding was provided for students who had to leave the Northwest Territories to pursue higher education. Funding for the education function was provided through financial agreements between the GNWT and the Federal Government.
Initially education programs were directed from the headquarters in Yellowknife and supported by four regional offices located in Fort Smith, Inuvik, Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit), and Churchill, Manitoba, then the regional centre for the Keewatin. Headquarters administration was responsible for planning, guidance, curriculum development, recruitment, staff training and administrative support services for the education program. In 1972, the results of an in house Survey of Education were released containing some 200 recommendations from Northwest Territories teachers. These recommendations studied by the Council's Special Committee on Education were considered in developing a new Education Ordinance, which became law on August 1, 1977. The Ordinance, replacing the Federal Ordinance of 1956, emphasized decentralization and devolution by providing more autonomy to regional superintendents and more control to elected local education authorities (LEAs), although the final authority for education remained with the Commissioner. The legislation established three levels of authority responsible for education: 1) Local or Community Education Authorities; 2) Education Societies; and 3) Boards of Education. Local Advisory Boards or Committees existed in many communities prior to creation of the Ordinance, providing primarily an advisory role, though some were responsible for Cultural Inclusion Programs, managing Committee funding, and hiring of local personnel for classroom assistants. The Act passed into law this department policy of community involvement and defined responsibilities. LEAs consisting of 4 elected members and one member appointed by the local municipal council were now responsible for advising the superintendent and the principal on school programs and administration for their education district. The boundaries of an education district usually coincided with the boundaries of a hamlet, town, village or settlement and several education districts comprised each of the five administrative regions of the Northwest Territories. For each region, a regional superintendent, under the advice of LEAs within that region, was responsible for assessing needs, establishing systems for evaluating programs and educators, and implementing education programs within the goals, objectives and standards set by the departmental administration. These regional superintendents were under the overall direction of regional directors. A petition from the community could achieve an Education Society, which was the next level of authority. These societies held greater responsibilities and were in charge of their own budgets, and the hiring and firing of all employees. The third level, autonomous Boards of Education, employed their own staff including a Superintendent of Education. As there was a tax-based financial requirement for the creation of Boards of Education, the boards were limited to the Yellowknife Public School Board, District #1 and the Yellowknife Separate School Board, District #2.
In 1982, with the formal establishment of Ministerial government in the GNWT, policy was set by the Minister, with the advice of the Deputy Minister in regard to goals, objectives and standards of education. After two years of community consultation, the final report of the Legislative Assembly's Special Committee on Education 'Learning, Tradition and Change in the Northwest Territories' was presented in March of 1982. Recommendations included the provision of further control over education at the community or regional level. An amendment to the Education Ordinance followed in 1983 permitting the formation of Education Divisions, and the creation of Divisional Boards of Education to administer schools within their region. A Divisional Board could be established by the submission of a petition to the minister from CECs or LEAs requesting that a division be formed. The Baffin Region Divisional Board of Education became the first operational divisional board in 1985 and by 1991, there were divisional boards in all regions. These boards were responsible for administration and maintenance of funding, selecting and providing direction to superintendents and teachers, and determining education objectives for each region. Schools lacking a divisional board were grouped into the administration regions under the supervision of the Regional Superintendent of Education and provided with administrative and program support. As Primary to Grade 12 education program delivery was assumed by Divisional and School Boards and advanced education program delivery assumed by the Arctic College Board, the supporting role of the Department of Education's administration changed. More and more direction came from legislation and policy. In 1986, the Arctic College Act was passed, which supplied a statutory basis for college operations and the College Board of Governors that had been appointed in 1982.
Although divisions, sections and their responsibilities altered with repeated reorganization of the Department of Education, the functions provided can be generally grouped into 4 main activities: Administration, Schools, Continuing, Special and Adult Education, and Pupil Residences.
1)The Administration activity, later called the Directorate, was responsible for the development and recommendation of education policy to the Minister, and determining goals, objectives and standards. It provided financial management, capital planning, recruitment, staff training, and administrative support services for the total education program. In the early years of the department, administration was also responsible for curriculum development and linguistic services.
2) The Schools activity was responsible for in-school programs (curriculum) grades 1 to 12, and provision of guidance to the school districts. It was initially responsible for special education and occupational in-school training, functions later handled by the Continuing, Special and Advanced education activity.
3) Continuing, Special and Advanced Education activity was initially composed of the planning, development and implementation of non-university programming including upgrading, apprenticeship, technical and on-the-job training, life skills, general interest courses and rehabilitation programs for special needs students. Eventually greater focus was placed on advanced education, with the establishment of the Fort Smith Adult Vocational Training Centre, later to evolve into the Arctic College, offering vocational, technical, business programs and academic upgrading courses on campus and through extension programs.
4) The Pupil Residences activity consisted of the planning, guidance and operation of student residences, as well as supervision and financial support to local boarding houses and private boarding institutions providing student accommodations. Accommodations would be provided for students continuing their education beyond the level provided in their community, and for students whose parents were required to be away for extended periods of time. The residences could be operated either by the GNWT or under contract with the Anglican or Catholic churches. By 1976, the operation of some student residences was being turned over to specially authorized community groups.
The structure and organization of the Department of Education was altered repeatedly during its existence. In 1977 it was organized into 4 divisions: 1) Recruitment, Personnel and Staff Training; 2) Education programs and Evaluation; 3) Linguistic programs; and 4) Finance, Research and Planning. In 1980, the department restructured into two main branches in response to departmental growth, decentralization, the recommendations of the Committee Task Force on Administration, and a departmental paper 'Direction for 1980's." The branches: 1) Education programs and Evaluation Branch and 2) Support Services Branch were each headed by an Assistant Deputy Minister. The Programs and Evaluation Branch was responsible for needs assessment, program development, and evaluation of all instructional programs for school children and adults. The Support Services Branch was responsible for higher education programs, finance and planning, school buildings, education personnel, legislation and policy development, and student grants and bursaries. Another reorganization in 1985 created: a Policy and Program Evaluation section that was responsible for overall planning and evaluation of education and the co-ordination of legislation and policy development; and combined employment and apprenticeship programs into one division.
In August of 1992, the Department of Education, amalgamated with programs from the Department of Culture and Communications to create the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.