Education and schools

The Yukon’s Child Care Act came into force on July 1, 1990, replacing the Day Care Act of 1980. It is the law that licensed child care programs must follow. The Act also describes the care and supervision of children in these programs.  

The Yukon government is reviewing the Child Care Act so that it reflects what we now understand is important in an early learning and child care environment. We also want to hear from Yukoners about what’s important to them when it comes to licensed child care programs. 

We want to hear what Yukoners’ needs, ideas and considerations are for Whitehorse-area school facilities.

The Whitehorse schools replacement ranking, released in 2022, identifies Whitehorse schools to be renovated or replaced in the coming years. The ranking is based on a broad set of weighted criteria, including:

The Department of Education accepted recommendations from The Auditor General of Canada to conduct a full review of the services and supports for inclusive education. The recommendation is outlined in the Auditor General’s report, Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Education in Yukon, published on June 18, 2019.

In June 2017, we introduced new changes to the way schools assess and report to parents on student learning. In March-April 2017, we surveyed parents and asked what they thought about the changes.

Schools were given the option to implement the changes over the 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years. Some schools started in 2017-18, some in 2018-19 and some in 2019-20. All schools are now following the new requirements.

We are conducting an online survey to gather feedback from Yukoners on the school calendar. Our goal is to set school calendar dates for the next four years so that all school communities can more easily plan for school and holidays. 

We want to know your thoughts on:

• when school should start and end;
• the dates for Christmas and March break; and
• the length of the school day, school year and summer break. 

This engagement was to inform school communities and to gather feedback on the Government of Yukon's proposed changes to student assessment and the way that schools communicate to students and parents about student learning progress. 

Yukon College is in the process of transitioning to Yukon University. To support this transition, university legislation is required and the Government of Yukon is developing the legislation to oversee and guide the activities of Yukon University.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information and feedback from students, families and school staff about their experiences and perspectives on:

• Health and safety routines
• Student learning and supports
• Learning for Whitehorse 10-12 students