Victoria, B.C.-The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), is implementing a new graduation requirement for students in British Columbia's K–12 education system.
Expected to take effect in the 2023-24 school year, this requirement will ensure all secondary students complete Indigenous-focused coursework. The program may also broaden to other Canadian provinces.
While more than 90 percent of B.C. students graduate with more than the required number of credits (80) for a B.C. Dogwood Diploma, only about 5 percent have completed any of the provincial Indigenous or First Peoples' grades 10–12 courses.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #62 includes a call to make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties and Aboriginal peoples' historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for kindergarten to Grade 12 students.
"The introduction of a First Peoples course requirement is an incredibly important milestone on our shared journey of truth and reconciliation, and something the B.C. Teachers' Federation has advocated strongly for over many years," said Teri Mooring, president of the BC Teachers' Federation. "It will be important that this policy change be supported by a focused effort to recruit more Indigenous teachers to ensure truths can be taught from a place of lived experience wherever possible throughout B.C.'s public education system."
In November 2019, B.C. became the first jurisdiction in Canada to formally adopt the internationally recognized standards of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through legislation with the passing of the B.C. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
"To support meaningful truth and reconciliation, it is critical that B.C. students graduate with an understanding of the ancient history of the lands their schools are situated upon," says Stephanie Higginson, president of the BC School Trustees Association. "B.C.'s curriculum offers many Indigenous-focused courses with rich content and boards of education have created unique courses that give students the chance to strengthen ties to Indigenous communities. This change to the graduation requirement will help further deepen and expand this necessary work."
Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education, said, "This new requirement will deepen students' understanding of the experiences, cultures, histories and knowledges of Indigenous Peoples. This will help us to understand the truths of our shared history, while also building knowledge so all students feel a sense of responsibility for our collective future."
Tyrone McNeil, president, FNESC, added: "Building awareness and understanding of First Peoples' perspectives, cultures and histories among all B.C. students will serve as an important step toward reconciliation and an effective strategy to combat racism within the province to the benefit of all British Columbians."
In early March, the Ministry of Education launched an online public engagement to gain feedback on the proposed approach to implementing the new graduation requirement, including what related information and resources students, parents and schools may need. The ministry will also consult with Indigenous communities and K-12 partners throughout the spring. FNESC will facilitate information sharing with First Nations. The proposed model would allow students to meet the new requirement through a variety of existing and new course options.
Under the proposed model, students who are currently in Grade 10 would be the first group to complete this new requirement, starting in September 2023. The new requirement will apply to all students in B.C. public, independent and offshore schools. British Columbia is the first Canadian province/jurisdiction to implement this type of requirement.
The new Indigenous-focused course requirement is one of the actions identified in B.C.'s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Draft Action Plan, as part of a broader Indigenous-specific anti-racism and discrimination strategy for the K-12 system, on which First Nations were consulted in 2021.
The K-12 Course Curriculum is available at: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/ and the online engagement website is at: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc
