High school diplomas available in all NWT official languages
Publication Date
News Release
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is pleased to announce that high school diplomas will soon be issued in every official language of the Northwest Territories.
Starting this month, all high school diplomas issued will be trilingual: English, French, and the Indigenous language of the graduating student’s choosing. The Northwest Territories seal is also in all 11 official languages.
The GNWT is committed to the preservation, promotion, and enhancement of Indigenous languages. By including Indigenous languages on high school diplomas, the territory’s official languages will become more visible in everyday life.
This initiative is also in the spirit of reconciliation, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
Northwest Territories schools will share more information with families on the trilingual diplomas and ask June 2024 graduates to select the Indigenous language they wish to feature on their diploma.
Quote
“I am proud to introduce new trilingual diplomas for high school graduates and to take this meaningful step towards reconciliation and language revitalization in the Northwest Territories. This showcases and highlights the NWT’s official languages to our students, educators, and families, as well as to their future employers and post-secondary schools nationally and internationally. It is my hope that these new trilingual diplomas will be hung with pride for generations to come.”
-Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment
Quick Facts
Going forward, all high school diplomas issued will be trilingual.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment will not be re-issuing diplomas that were distributed prior to June 2024 as trilingual. However, former students may request a trilingual diploma through the Student Records office.
Schools will be asking potential graduates to identify which Indigenous language they would like featured on their high school diploma. If a student is unsure which Indigenous language to select, they will be asked to choose from an Indigenous language of their region.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is also working to update other departmental certificates and awards to be trilingual.