The Deninu School in Fort Resolution has started classes several weeks before other schools in the South Slave Divisional Education Council in an effort to increase attendance. By adjusting the class schedule, the school year will end on June 3, 2026, which will enable students to finish their classes before cultural and seasonal family activities such as hunting and fishing begin. CBC explains that the idea came from Deninu Principal Simone De Gannes, who noticed a drop in attendance during the last month of school. “We are hindering the traditional aspect of children’s lives where they want to go out and fish, they want to go out and hunt, they want to be out on the land,” she said. The adjustment will also avoid keeping students in class during the hot month of June. Council Superintendent Souhail Soujah noted that the other schools in the board are welcome to explore alternative academic calendars or schedules that suit to the communities they serve. “We have five communities that are very different, so having a school calendar that’s one-size-fits-all makes no sense,” he said. Attendance has already improved at Deninu compared to last year.
