Mandatory Indigenous coursework for students

New requirements have been put in place for all B.C. secondary students, ensuring that they complete Indigenous-focused coursework in order to be eligible to graduate from the K-12 education system.

The new coursework requirements are expected to take effect in the 2023-2024 school year. Under the proposed model, students who are currently in Grade 10 would be the first group to complete this new requirement.

The new graduation requirement will provide all B.C. students with the necessary time and opportunity to develop deeper understandings of the experiences, cultures, and histories of Indigenous peoples, according to a statement from the Ministry of Education.

“We are deeply committed to lasting and meaningful reconciliation in B.C., guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples while working co-operatively with Indigenous Peoples across the province to address the knowledge gaps in our K-12 curriculum,” said Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside.

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“School District 91 (SD91) is committed to truth, reconciliation, and anti-racism education as part of the education mandate in B.C. The district is very supportive of the Ministry of Education announcement requiring an Indigenous-focused graduation requirement for all students starting in 2023-24 and this commitment is reflected in the SD91 Strategic Plan. This new requirement further enhances and recognizes Indigenous history, worldviews and perspectives,” said SD91 Assistant Superintendent Mike Skinner.

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According to Skinner, as of now, he doesn’t expect the school district to have to bring in more employees to be able to meet the requirements. “We do not anticipate the need to hire additional teachers as this announcement does not add extra graduating credits to a student’s transcript,” he said.