The Yukon government is extending the review of inclusive and special education into the 2020-21 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The review responds to a recommendation in the Auditor General of Canada’s 2019 report, Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Education in Yukon, which was critical of several major aspects of how the Department of Education is managing the territory’s education system.

The extension will provide more time and opportunities to safely connect and gather perspectives on these programs and services, the government said Wednesday.

Engagement opportunities with families, educators, school communities, partners and Yukon First Nations originally planned for April and May 2020 are being rescheduled for this fall. The extended engagement opportunities include:

• an online tool to gather perspectives and experiences from students, families, partners, school communities, staff and the public; and

• focus groups led by the review consultant with:

• educators, including learning assistance teachers, school counsellors, educational assistants, etc.;

• Yukon First Nations;

• school councils; and

• the advisory committee for Yukon Education and other professionals who work with children and youth with diverse needs.

An interim update on the review is now available, with the information gathered to date by the consultant about Yukon’s current service model for these programs, along with questions and resources to consider as the review moves forward.

The consultant’s final report for this review and a summary of what was heard through the engagement activities will be shared by the end of March 2021.

Along with the recommendations from the 2019 audit report, this report will be used to frame collaboration with Yukon First Nations and education partners to respond to the feedback and findings from this review and together develop next steps and actions to improve and modernize these programs to more effectively support student learning needs and outcomes.

“Overall, we found that the Yukon Department of Education did not know whether its programs met the needs of students, particularly those with special needs and those from Yukon First Nations,” the Auditor General’s report said.

“We found that the department still had not identified the underlying causes of long-standing gaps in student outcomes between First Nations and other Yukon students. These gaps included a lower high school completion rate for First Nations students compared with other students. We had a similar finding in an audit report we published in 2009.

“We also found that the department had not identified the underlying causes of the long-standing gaps in student outcomes between students in rural and urban schools,” the report added.

“Until the department understands the root causes driving these gaps, and the gaps in student outcomes between First Nations and other Yukon students, it has no way of knowing whether it is focusing its time and resources on where they are most needed.”

With specific respect to inclusive education, Auditor General’s office reported, “we found that the department did not monitor its delivery of services and supports to students who had special needs, nor did it monitor these students’ outcomes.

“As a result, the department did not know whether its approach to inclusive education was working, or whether it needed more focused attention on particular schools, groups, teachers, or subject areas.

“Half of the teachers who responded to our survey felt that they did not have the supports they needed to deliver inclusive education, and two thirds of those same teachers reported that they lacked sufficient training to do so.”

In addition, “and of equal importance,” Auditor General’s report said, “the department has responsibilities and commitments to provide education programs that reflect Yukon First Nations culture and languages.

“Despite this, we found that the department did not do enough to create a partnership with Yukon First Nations that would allow it to fully develop and deliver such programs.

“We also found that the department did not provide enough direction, oversight, and support to help schools deliver culturally inclusive programming.”

Education Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee commented on the review’s extension Wednesday.

“The Government of Yukon remains committed to working with families and communities to ensure all students have the learning supports they need,” McPhee said.

“We look forward to hearing the perspectives and experiences of students, families, partners, school communities, Yukon First Nations and staff so that we can improve inclusive and special education in our territory.”

Independent review consultant Nikki YeeI said she “appreciates how open people have been in sharing their thoughts about inclusive and special education.

“Even at these early stages, I can see that there are some incredible strengths here in the Yukon that can serve as a springboard to address the challenges that have been identified.

“It’s unfortunate the work had to be put on hold due to the pandemic, but it has provided a good opportunity to reflect on the process and on the discussions that have happened so far.

“I hope this interim update can inspire people to start thinking about their own stories with inclusive and special education, and the kinds of changes they’d like to see,” Yee added.

“I look forward to connecting with people to hear those stories and ideas once the review starts back up again.

The review’s purpose is to identify barriers and opportunities in the current service model and questions and resources to consider, by hearing from families, educators, and communities about their experiences with current programming and by learning about what other jurisdictions are doing.

It began in February 2020, starting with the Department of Education’s current practices, procedures and legislated responsibilities, and initial meetings with central staff and school administrators.

The interim update from the consultant includes information and research gathered so far.

This update will be referenced in the online tool and focus groups sessions that are being rescheduled.