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Your B.C. Government

Aboriginal Education

Your B.C. Government is working in partnership with First Nations to deliver a more culturally-relevant curriculum that is community-focused in order to enhance aboriginal student outcomes.

What your B.C. Government is doing for Aboriginal Education:

  • The Province is investing $52.6 million – $1,014 per student who self identify as being of Aboriginal ancestry – into Aboriginal education in 2009-10 based on district-estimated enrolment. The funds were used to support Aboriginal language and culture programs, support service programs, and other localized education programs.
  • Increased the Aboriginal high school completion rate to 47 per cent in 2007-08, up five per cent from 2000-01.
  • Liaised with boards of education and the Aboriginal community to improve achievement and choice for Aboriginal students through Aboriginal Enhancement Agreements and district accountability contracts. Forty-five school districts in British Columbia have signed an Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement.
  • Offered English 12 First Peoples for the first time in 2008-09 as an English 12 equivalent and students who take it will qualify for graduation and provincial scholarships.
  • Passed the First Nations Education Act to give First Nations communities jurisdiction over band schools on reserves.
  • Signed Education Jurisdiction Agreements with the First Nations Education Steering Committee and the federal government recognizing the right of First Nations to make decisions about the education of their children.
  • Your B.C. Government will continue to develop our Aboriginal Post Secondary Education Strategy, announced in 2007, to help Aboriginal students start, stay and succeed in post-secondary education and training by increasing scholarship opportunities, and funding Aboriginal-focused programs. The strategy's actions will help Aboriginal students by:
    • Reducing financial barriers through a $10-million endowment to the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society to develop a scholarship program for Aboriginal students, starting in September 2008.
    • Increasing access, retention and success by investing $14.95 million to create three-year service plans between 11 public post-secondary institutions and Aboriginal communities that identify interests and educational needs of Aboriginal students and create programs that meet those needs.
    • Invested $9.1 million over three years in the Aboriginal Special Projects Fund to assist public post-secondary institutions to develop innovative programming and support services for Aboriginal learners.
    • $9.9 million to encourage partnerships and more transitions from high school to post-secondary education and the workforce, and will include new Aboriginal spaces in priority areas.
    • Investing $13.2 million over three years to create gathering places that reflect Aboriginal culture at public post-secondary institutions.
  • Liaised with the First Nations Education Steering Committee and the Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association to identify issues and strategies under a policy framework in support of Aboriginal institutions. There are more than 40 Aboriginal post-secondary institutions and learning centres in B.C. including the En’owkin Centre and Wilp Wilxo’oskwhl Nisga’a.
  • Endorsed and promoted a provincial government-wide standard definition for Aboriginal data collection, which promotes data-tracking methods that track the participation of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis as mutually exclusive groups.
  • Recognized First Nations’ authority, through education jurisdiction legislation, to make laws governing education on their land.
  • Approved the Halq’emeylem Second Language Curriculum in 2008 – the 10th First Nations language curriculum to receive provincial approval
  • Provided over $700,000 annually to the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council for projects meant to revitalize B.C. Aboriginal languages through documentation, language classes, immersion programs and curriculum development.
  • Provided $1.2 million to urban and rural Aboriginal Friendship Centres to deliver family literacy programs.

For More Information:
Aboriginal Education Initiatives
Aboriginal Education, Ministry of Education