The evolution of professionalism - Centre for Policy Studies in ...

training, a new computer-based information system, and a framework for attracting
immigrants with needed skills.
Accountability is closely connected to the public consultation processes
contained in the Education Act review, which has highlighted the public’s changing
expectations about service delivery, accountability and involvement in decision
making in education, and identifi ed program expansion and enhancement as
priorities for the future. The Department of Education stresses its commitment
to accountability by making its goals relevant, measurable, and achievable. The
Education Act requires that each Yukon school be evaluated every fi ve years
to improve schools and ensure accountability of publicly funded educational
institutions. Schools are evaluated on a rotating basis, with some schools beginning
their evaluation as others are completing the process. After evaluation, schools
develop and implement school plans for improvement. Accountability was addressed
through a number of mechanisms regarding achievement and educational relevancy
in 2003. An Aboriginal languages survey/assessment, an adult literacy needs and
skills survey, and a community education needs assessment were all launched. The
community needs assessment is part of a consultation process with First Nations,
school councils and local government to identify priorities. In accordance with
the Western Canada Protocol, the Department of Education began to examine
how changes to the BC graduation program might affect the Yukon, since Yukon
secondary schools mirror the BC secondary school program.
The detailed list of vocational outcomes in the accountability plan illustrates
the foundational importance of the economy. The policy environment for all
elected governments inevitably emphasizes jobs and employment. Vocationalism
is a central component of what it means to be accountable. Employment is the key
to in-migration and, for the Yukon, the maintenance of a stable population.
First Nations education and an emphasis on fostering First Nations cultural
awareness are key elements in the formation of government policy in education. First
Nations representation on school councils is guaranteed in the Education Act, and
the government promotes Aboriginal teacher education and facilitates employment
opportunities through vocational education. Thus the economic imperative that has
tended to drive the accountability movement is somewhat counterbalanced by the
political necessity of giving First Nations a pre-eminent place in the policy-making
process.
In Nunavut, the Superintendent conducts an annual evaluation of
school principals in consultation with the school district administration. The
Superintendent works with school principals and school personnel to create
educational environments that facilitate learning, promote Aboriginal culture and
languages, and favour academic excellence. Each school principal is responsible
for the daily functioning of the school, enforcement of a code of conduct, and
the integration of Qaujimaningit and Qaujimajatuqangit Inuits in the school
environment. The school principal is also responsible for the general supervision of
the teaching personnel, the evaluation of their progress, the approval of educational
resources, and the organization and evaluation of the programs of study.
The Northwest Territories’ Department of Education, Culture and Employment
has established a set of standards to assure parents that their children are receiving
212 Section 4: The Atlantic Region