Lafferty in Alaska to discuss education, languages

Friday, January 27, 2012 - 4:23 PM

Yellowknife, N.W.T. - Education, Culture and Employment minister Jackson Lafferty was in Alaska this week talking languages.

Specifically, he was taking part in meetings with educational leaders from around the Arctic to discuss aboriginal languages and educational initiatives at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

Lafferty said part of the discussion revolved around language education and how the schools have managed to include that in the curriculum, something he would like to see happen in the NWT.

"The university and also the K to 12 have been involved with the language strategy for a long time, for a few decades already. So we just want to use some of their pros and cons, what they've been through."

Lafferty said he'd also like to see elders brought in to help with language instructors in class, which already happens in Alaska.

"We want to somehow utilize those elders in schools, with respect to the language and working along with the teachers."

Lafferty said the elders would become part of the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative.

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