The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released a report that provides insight into the ways the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected student success and the education system in the Northwest Territories (NWT).
Since March 2020, there has been significant disruption to educational instruction around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of its regular data collection, the department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) measures a number of Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 12 student outcomes, which can provide potential insight into the impacts of COVID-19 on the education system. These include annual developmental surveys completed by Kindergarten, Grade 4 and Grade 7 students, high school graduation rates, school closure data, and the number of NWT educators.
The pandemic was a significant disrupter to the education system as a whole. The shift to remote learning, the limitations to connect with one’s community and engage in after-school programming has had a negative impact on the well-being and academic experiences for many students. Further research will be required to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the impact of the pandemic on the education system.
In addition to the indicators noted in the report, ECE will closely monitor the needs of NWT students using existing wellness data, referrals for school-based mental health and wellness services, academic progress reports provided by education bodies, attendance rates, etc.
