Designed to define and clarify the policies and programs of Canada's Northwest Territories' Department of Education, this monograph addressed the following concerns: (1) Program Policies and Problems (emphasis on the vast size and small population of the Northwest Territories and the divergent demands placed upon the Department of Education and its Director); (2) History (documentation of the Department's increasing involvement in the administration and development of a "unified education system"); (3) Extent and Organization (65 schools spread throughout 1.3 million square miles; 625 teachers; 110 classroom assistants, most of whom are of Native descent; regional superintendents assisted by supervisors in charge of Special and Continuing Education and by traveling teacher consultants; the Yellowknife headquarters and its various divisions; adult education; and specialized training programs); (4) Principles (parental right to choose the type of education suitable for their children; cultural relevancy; language of the learner during the first three years of education; a multi-cultural/multi-lingual objective; and education which develops and preserves the confidence of the child); (5) Programs (teacher education programs for Native which emphasize the standards of: northern teaching suitability; community responsiveness; bilingualism; and specific training for northern teaching). (JC)