The 1988 literacy strategy, updated in 1990,¹³¹ lays the basis for current programming. The 1990 document says, "Residents of all ages should have access to programs which will enable them to achieve a functional level of literacy in their home community, wherever possible.... Programs providing a functional level of literacy should be learner-centred and community-based."

There are 60 communities in the NWT. Of these, 34 have permanent literacy programs in "community learning centres," and in any year another 10 or 15 other communities also have programs in operation. About three-quarters of programs are operated by Arctic College. The remainder, usually located where the college does not deal with basic literacy, are run by non-profit organizations, including libraries, friendship centres, and especially Community Education Councils (roughly the counterpart of school boards in the provinces). Programs are offered in six aboriginal languages (Inuktitut, Cree, Gwitch'in, Slavey, Dogrib and Chipewyan, as well as English and French, are all official languages in the NWT). Some programs involve educational radio broadcasting; and many are adapted to local conditions such as seasonal cycles of hunting and trapping. It is a goal to have one-half of teachers aboriginal language-speakers by the year 2000; many are now classroom assistants teaching their language.

A Literacy Council was formed in 1990, to sponsor literacy programming with federal and philanthropic funding. Arctic College has made literacy and ABE a key component of its current five-year strategy.

This section has displayed something of the vast array and variety of policy and programming arrangements in literacy across the country. The next chapter attempts again to stand back from the detail and define some broad issues concerning literacy work in the next decade.