School District 57 is working with the Indigenous Education Leadership Table (IELT) to help boost the education and graduation rates of Indigenous students.
IELT has put out an introductory video to talk about its purpose, the roles it will play, and the goals it hopes to accomplish.
The table was established in January of 2022, and it sits at the same level as the Board of Trustees.
“It came out of an idea that the Nations can actually help their students achieve higher graduation rates and higher sense of education, and a higher quality of education,” said Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Councillor Joshua Seymour, who also sits at the table.
He added that they’ll be ensuring that the standard of education not only meets the provincial level, but exceeds it.
Pam Spooner, the Indigenous Assistant Superintendent for School District 57, said that this is a collaboration to bring Indigenous perspective to the table.
“Nothing about us without us, it’s not people up here making decisions because they know what’s best for Indigenous people. It’s all of us making decisions because you have the real story, you’ve lived the experience, you know what it’s like to be Indigenous, and so we know what our Indigenous students are going through,” said Spooner.