According to the B.C. Ministry of Education, a new high school graduation requirement has been approved (for 2023-24) in B.C. regarding the studies of Indigenous Peoples.
By | Samantha Kwong
All B.C. high school students will soon be required to obtain four Indigenous credits in order to graduate. Courses can be chosen from new and existing Indigenous focused classes.
This new mandate will apply to public, independent, and offshore schools in B.C.
The main purpose for the curriculum alteration is to deepen student’s understanding of Indigenous Peoples. The ministry hopes that this new requirement will ensure students gain a better understanding of Indigenous’ perspectives, culture, and history.
Several B.C. Indigenous leaders believe that enforcing Indigenous learning for secondary school students allows them to move forward along the path of truth and reconciliation.
“Students have a fundamental right to understand the history of the lands they live on.”
Grand Chief Stewart Philip
The change is expected to begin in the 2023-2024 school year. Students who are currently in Grade 10 will be the first group to experience the new requirements.
B.C. is also the first Canadian province to carry out this condition.
There are mixed feelings and thoughts about this new requirement. As the current Grade 10s will be the first class to experience this change, some students suggest it might be an inconvenience to their course schedule selections.
They didn’t anticipate being required to take this course as part of graduation. Honour students state that having to take an Indigenous course interferes with their wish to take a regular English course.
However, some students are neutral to the upcoming change and find it interesting and beneficial to further learn about Indigenous cultures and how they play a part in our Canadian history.
There is still not much information regarding the change, but as 2023-2024 approaches, it is expected more details will be released.
Notre Dame’s course selections recently closed, but students and especially the grads of 2024 and younger, should still be aware of the new requirements they will need to meet before graduation.