B.C. to require Indigenous-focused education for high school graduation

B.C. high school students will soon be required to take courses about Indigenous cultures and histories in order to graduate.

The new requirement is expected to take effect in the 2023-24 school year, which means students who are currently in Grade 10 will be the first group to experience this curriculum change. It will apply to all students in B.C. public, independent, and offshore schools.

The proposed model would require four of the 80 credits a student must achieve in order to graduate be focused on courses with an Indigenous focus.

The province already offers six four-credit courses and four two-credit courses that would count towards this requirement. It’s proposing the 18 First Nations language courses that could be taken between grades 10 and 12. Those, as well as locally developed courses would count for graduation credits.

“At this point in our society, in our history, as we move forward in an era of reconciliation … It’s time to build on the work that we have done already throughout our K to 12 education system and ensure that we are equipping students with the knowledge, perspectives, the understanding of our shared history with Indigenous people and First Nations on this land, in order to build a better future going forward,” said Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside.

Related articles:

• ‘From two universities I did not know’: B.C. premier says more Indigenous history education needed

• Surrey teacher says more support needed for anti-racism education

Since last year’s discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children in Kamloops and the discoveries that followed, there have been calls for people to open dialogue and educate themselves on the history of Canada and the residential school system.

Last summer, B.C. Premier John Horgan said better education about Indigenous history needs to be taught in schools and in post-secondary education.

“I have two degrees in history and I did not know about the atrocities of residential schools from our public education system,” Horgan said in late May, 2021. “From two universities I did not know. I learned it in a gymnasium from a survivor. Talking to his kids and grandkids about what he had suffered.”

The province has launched a website to get feedback about what it is planning. It says the survey takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Whiteside says parents, students, and teachers are invited to share their thoughts about the proposed model.

“There is a very rich and diverse First Nations population in British Columbia. And of course, we also have Métis and Inuit as well. So there is lots of opportunity to really expand our knowledge, really expand our our understanding, and to really prepare students for an increasingly diverse and complex world.”

B.C. is the first province in Canada to introduce this kind of requirement.