“This makes education less accessible to many NWT adult learners, particularly Indigenous people who are more likely to live in a small community and to have not graduated from secondary school,” said the Council’s Executive Director, Kathryn Barry Paddock.
“We’re concerned about the adult learners who want to continue their learning journey in their own community. Moving to a regional centre is not an option for everyone for family or other reasons.”
The NWT Literacy Council is not convinced that online learning is a practical alternative for many adult learners, nor is moving to regional centres. Community Learning Centres removed barriers for many learners who would have faced housing shortages if they had to move to larger centres like Yellowknife.
Aurora College issued a news release yesterday about the closures planned for the end of June following a meeting with community learning centre staff. The news release said the college Board of Governors made the decision.
The NWT Literacy Council supports adult education through the development of materials for learners and instructors. It has partnered with Aurora College on several projects to support adult education.
“We look forward to discussions with the college to learn more about its reasons for this decision and how it will address the unique needs of adult learners from small NWT communities,” said Ms. Barry Paddock.
For more information contact:
Kathryn Barry Paddock
867-873-9262
Kathryn@nwtliteracy.ca
