Aboriginal Education in British Columbia
Last Modified: 2016-12-05
There are over 60,000 students in B.C.’s school system who self-identify as being of Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) ancestry.
Recognizing that our students are our future, Aboriginal Education seeks to:
- Improve the success of these students
- Support all students learning about Aboriginal peoples
- Help teachers in their efforts to bring Aboriginal knowledge into their teaching practice.
In the Classroom
Several B.C. school districts have incorporated Aboriginal education into lesson plans and learning activities for all students. Learn about the teaching tools available to educators or lookup which school districts offer Aboriginal programs.
Aboriginal Education and Curriculum
- English 10 & 11 First Peoples
- English 12 First Peoples
- B.C. First Nations Studies 12
- Indigenous Languages of B.C.
- Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in the Classroom (PDF)
- First Peoples Principles of Learning (PDF)
Resources for Administrators
- Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements
- Aboriginal Education Funding policy
- Curriculum and Classroom Resources
- Reciprocal Tuition
- Reports and Student Data
First Nations Schools
There are approximately 130 First Nations schools in 67 First Nations communities in B.C. serving over 5,000 students.
Reconciliation and Anti-Racism
- Project of Heart: Illuminating the hidden history of Indian Residential Schools in BC
- First Nations Education Steering Committee: Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation
- Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in the Classroom Moving Forward (PDF)
- Visions du monde et perspectives autochtones dans la salle de classe Aller de l’avant (PDF 9,5MB)
Research
- Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements: Complicated Conversations as Pathways to Success (PDF, 1MB) prepared by Andrew Kitchenham, Principal Investigator, UNBC; Tina Fraser, Co-Researcher, UNBC; Michelle Pidgeon, Co-Researcher, SFU; and Karen Ragoonaden, Co-Researcher, UBC-O (2016)
- Polysynthetic Language Structures and their Role in Pedagogy and Curriculum for BC Indigenous Languages (PDF 2MB) (June 2014)
