Public Schools BranchThe Public Schools Branch provides a dynamic education system with excellent resources for 5600 students, Kindergarten through Grade 12, in twenty-nine Yukon schools. The Yukon has a dedicated and creative teaching staff and boasts one of the most favourable pupil-teacher ratios in Canada. There are approximately 724 school-based personnel. They include teachers, educational assistants, remedial tutors and aboriginal language teachers. The Department of Education supports the schools with 26 curriculum and special needs consultants. There are 14 public schools in the Yukon's capital and largest city, Whitehorse. They include:
There are another 14 public schools in the small rural communities outside Whitehorse. Most offer Kindergarten to Grade 9, with several of the larger communities offering up to Grade 12. Students from communities where secondary grades are not offered may attend school in Whitehorse or another community. How Yukon Schools Are Run The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for school operations. Three Directors of Learning and a Director of Programs & Services provide assistance. Parents have input into the educational priorities of schools through elected bodies called school councils. Where requested, First Nations have guaranteed representation on school councils. The Francophone community elects the Yukon's only school board to govern the French First Language School. Culture and Language Approximately 25 per cent of the Yukon student population is of First Nations ancestry. Instruction is English-based for the majority of students. French and Aboriginal languages are widely offered as second language instruction. French Immersion and French First Language education is offered in Whitehorse. Curriculum, Programs and Services The Yukon is a full partner in the Western and Northern Canadian Protocol (WNCP). This protocol supports the development of common curriculum frameworks for Western and Northern Canada. Within these frameworks, the British Columbia program of studies forms the basis of the Yukon curriculum. This curriculum is frequently adapted to reflect local needs and conditions. The Yukon Department of Education values experiential approaches to curriculum delivery and places a particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The Yukon supports early intervention initiatives such as full-day kindergarten pilot projects, pre-kindergarten programming and Reading Recovery. Yukon schools have an inclusive philosophy for the education of students with special needs. To support this philosophy, the Department of Education uses a non-categorical model for allocating special education resources. Yukon Schools are among the most 'connected' in Canada. By September 2002 all Yukon schools will have access to high-speed Internet service.
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Public Schools Branch Pages
Public Schools Branch
Phone: (867) 667-5141 |
Last Updated 14-06-2006