Image: SD33 via B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care /Starting this fall with the 2023-24 school year, secondary school students will now need to enrol in and complete an Indigenous-focused course in order to graduate. As part of B.C.'s commitment to truth, reconciliation, and anti-racism, the Ministry of Education and Child Care has implemented a mandatory Indigenous focused graduation requirement for all students beginning in the 2023/2024 school year.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

B.C. graduation requirement

SD33, independent students now required to complete First Nations course before graduating

Feb 7, 2023 | 10:37 AM

CHILLIWACK — Starting this fall with the 2023-24 school year, secondary school students in British Columbia will now need to complete an Indigenous-focused course in order to earn a certificate of graduation.

According to a post from Chilliwack School District on Facebook on January 20, the provincial move coincides with the B.C. government’s commitment to anti-racism initiatives.

“As part of B.C.’s commitment to truth, reconciliation, and anti-racism, the Ministry of Education and Child Care has implemented a mandatory Indigenous-focused graduation requirement for all students beginning in the 2023/2024 school year,” SD33 wrote on Facebook. “There are many ways for students to achieve these credits.”

A link from SD33 brings online users to an SD33 fact sheet from the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care indicating the new requirement will be implemented in the 2023-24 school year. It will be necessary for any student graduating in the 2023-24 school year, and in all subsequent years, to attain this new requirement.

All students working towards the B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma, in both English and French) will be required to complete the new graduation requirement, including students at B.C. independent schools and certified offshore schools, the Ministry wrote in its fact sheet.

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The B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care says the new requirement will not adversely impact students’ transitions to post-secondary institutions. “No, the model includes options for students to meet the new requirement through completion of existing provincial courses which are already accepted by post-secondary institutions in Canada,” the Ministry wrote in an FAQ section.

The Ministry wrote that the new requirement aligns with actions taken by post-secondary institutions to introduced required Indigenous education coursework for students, including B.C. teacher education programs and the UBC School of Law.

Four credits of the 80 credits required to graduate with a B.C. Certificate of Graduation must include an Indigenous-focused course, the Ministry indicated in their fact sheet. Current options that students can choose from include eight English First Peoples courses for grades 10-12, B.C. First Peoples 12, and Contemporary Indigenous Studies 12. These courses also satisfy other graduation requirements in English language arts and social studies.

“This change to the B.C. graduation program represents an important next step towards lasting and meaningful reconciliation,” the B.C. government wrote online. “The new graduation requirement will provide all B.C. students with the necessary time and opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences, cultures, histories, and contemporary contexts of Indigenous peoples in Canada.”

The SD33 brochure outlining the requirements can be found here: https://sd33.bc.ca/…/indigenous-grad-req-parent…

by Mike Vanden Bosch

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SD33, independent students now required to complete First Nations course before graduating

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