B.C. introducing Indigenous coursework requirement for secondary students

B.C. high school students will soon be required to complete Indigenous-focused coursework in order to graduate.

The requirement is scheduled to take effect in the 2023-24 school year, the provincial Ministry of Education said in a news release Friday.

The new graduation requirement is being implemented "in collaboration with the First Nations Education Steering Committee," according to the province.

"This new requirement will deepen students' understanding of the experiences, cultures, histories and knowledges of Indigenous Peoples," said Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside, in the release.

"This will help us to understand the truths of our shared history, while also building knowledge so all students feel a sense of responsibility for our collective future."

Exactly what the Indigenous-focused coursework will look like remains to be seen, but the ministry said students would be able to meet the requirement through "a variety of existing and new course options."

Students currently in Grade 10 will be the first class required to complete the coursework to graduate, and the requirement "will apply to all students in B.C. public, independent and offshore schools," the ministry said.

"For many years, FNESC, First Nations and our partners in the public education system have advocated for this important change to the B.C. graduation program," said Tyrone McNeil, president of the FNESC, in the province's release.

"Building awareness and understanding of First Peoples' perspectives, cultures and histories among all B.C. students will serve as an important step toward reconciliation and an effective strategy to combat racism within the province to the benefit of all British Columbians."

The ministry says B.C. is the first province in Canada to make Indigenous-focused coursework a graduation requirement.

While 90 per cent of students in B.C. secondary schools graduate with more than the required number of credits, only about five per cent have completed any of the Indigenous courses currently available for Grades 10 through 12.

The ministry plans to launch an online public engagement on its proposed approach to the new graduation requirement on Monday.