High School completion rates are up in BC.
A new report from the BC government says more students are making the grade, and aboriginal graduation rates are at record highs.
The six-year completion rate for Aboriginal students reached an all-time high of 63% in the 2014-15 school year, combining with all other students for nearly 84%.
Prince George’s numbers are slipping below the provincial average- but it isn’t necessarily bad news.
“In Prince George specifically, there have been some great increases,” says Minister of Education Mike Bernier. “Up to 73% for the non-Aboriginal students, but rates for Aboriginal students have gone up by almost 20 per cent to 60.5%.”
He hopes a curriculum overhaul that emphasizes first nations history and culture will help the promising numbers climb.
Changes proposed last June were quickly confirmed, and implemented this September.
“it became apparent that we need to be looking at our curriculum, to be looking to teach a full accounting of our joint history,” Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation John Rustad noted in a previous interview with MyPGNow. “The BC government has been looking through our curriculum and making some adjustments to include more aboriginal content to our education program in BC”
Rustad believes many people are out of touch with some of the major hurdles aboriginal’s faced in the past and the upgraded program fills that void.
“Many people do not understand things that have happened in our history for example some of the things that happened to the L’heidli T’enneh people more than 100 years ago or things like residential schools and the fact aboriginal people were not allowed to vote until the 1960s.”
Four BC school districts reported Aboriginal six-year completion rates over 88% for 2014-15, helping propel the province to a third-place ranking in Canada.
“When you look at our overall academic system, we have the third-highest rank in the entire world,” adds Bernier. “Globally, we’re ranked number 3 for our Dogwood Diplomas and for our success we have within our education system.”