The Yukon Party (YP) is promising to begin fixing what ails the territorial education system... particularly for Indigenous students.

During a news conference Thursday, YP Leader Currie Dixon introduced a plan to help the education system recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has hit students, families, and teachers hard,” he said.

“Students are not only dealing with the stress of the pandemic but also trying to navigate the process of getting an education that is usually delivered in-person.

“The plan includes the creation of an Education Recovery Plan, ensuring strong fundamentals and a diversity of education pathways for students, and involving teachers in the decision-making process.”

If elected April 12, Dixon said, the party would do this by:

• Providing resources to assist students who have fallen behind because of the education delivery changes;

• Enhancing access to mental health support in schools;

• Reviewing financial supports for students who have had scholarships or other funding impacted by the pandemic;

• Working with school communities to address literacy and numeracy outcomes across all grade levels;

• Promoting computer literacy and coding;

• Broadening access to experiential learning programs such as MAD, GOES, and CHAOS; and

• Revisiting the decision to move away from Individualized Education Plans for students who require additional assistance.

Dixon also announced an ambitious plan to tackle the question of how to ensure more Indigenous students graduate from high school.

He acknowledged that’s a perpetual thorny question, since innumerable other politicans and governments have promised much the same thing without much notable success.

“The Yukon Party is also setting a clear goal of ensuring 80 per cent of First Nation students are graduating high school within 10 years,” Dixon said.

A YP government would do this by:

• Establishing stronger partnerships and working with Yukon First Nations to increase their control of First Nations education;

• Acknowledging the differences in each community and working through established pathways such as Regional Education Agreements, the recently announced First Nation School Board Agreement, or through bilateral agreements with specific schools;

• Working with First Nations governments and the First Nation Education Directorate to begin developing an Indigenous Academy as an innovative way to embed Indigenous studies into the curriculum;

• Developing a Student Outcome Strategy, as recommended by the Auditor General, and implementing the 2019 Report on Education; and

• Working with the Yukon Native Language Centre to support the teaching and preservation of First Nation languages.

It’s a bold vision, Dixon said.

The party estimates it would cost $5 million to begin to implement those changes, but many of the changes for Indigenous students can be introduced with existing resources.

“The education system is currently failing them,” Dixon said. “Indigenous students have a 48 per cent graduation rate.”

Non-Indigenous students have an 88 per cent chance of graduating high school, he added.

“It’s unacceptable. Better is possible,” Dixon said.

Specific to social and emotional well-being support for students, a Yukon Party government would make sure students’ mental wellness needs are monitored and supported in-school, target youth in demographics that are most vulnerable, ensure parental support, and use the power of sport and the arts to foster a sense of purpose and improve resilience among young people.

“The future of the territory depends on the success and strength of the next generation of Yukoners,” said Dixon. “Our plan aims to address all aspects of K to 12 education, with a focus on improving outcomes for First Nations students.

“This will require a bold vision with new thinking to get us there.”