Carrier Sekani Tribal Chief Terry Teegee attended the school board meeting last night to push for School District 57 to be more forthcoming about its plans for aboriginal education.
“What I wanted to do was give more a voice for the Carrier Sekani to have, in terms of development of the curriculum and also the allocation of dollars. What we were meeting about also was the dismemberment of the original Ab-Ed Board, the dissolution of that board 2 years ago.”
Teegee says that, since the Ab-Ed board was dissolved, there’s been a lack of clear communication with the school board. He says he has grave concerns about the education of aboriginal children within the district.
According to Teegee, there is an agreement to replace the board and ensure First Nations can provide input and oversight into the development of the Aboriginal Education curriculum.
“I haven’t seen that, nor have we been involved in the development of the new Ab-Ed board. We haven’t seen the strategic plan and also the development curriculum that will be coming in the next school year and that’s a grave concern.”
Teegee says he wants to ensure that local First Nations and their elders have a say in what their children are taught and where money earmarked for aboriginal education is spent.
There’s a specific area of the upcoming year’s school curriculum that needs immediate attention, according to Teegee.
“One of the things that needs to be developed is implementing the reconciliation from the Truth and Reconciliation Report. That clearly stated that there needs to be aboriginal involvement in development of curriculum of local school districts and local schools.”
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