The B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development says it is “pleased” with an Aboriginal school completion rate of 49%.
In a December 3 news release, Minister Moira Stilwell praised the latest data on student achievement:
“We are pleased with the results and the gains that Aboriginal students have made.
“Through Aboriginal education enhancement agreements and the development of courses such as BC First Nations 12 and English 12 First Peoples, we are working with boards of education to engage Aboriginal students and empower them to continue their studies through secondary school and beyond.”
The release defines the completion rate as the number of students who graduate with a Dogwood diploma within six years of entering grade 8.
It also noted that this year’s provincial completion rate is 79%, about where it has remained since 2003-04.
In an email to The Tyee, Rich Overgaard of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation said of the Aboriginal completion rate: “The government says it’s a ‘record high’ even though it was 47% last year and 48% the year before. The attempt to somehow make it ‘good news’ is odd considering aboriginal graduation rate has been essentially static for 5 years.”
Overgaard cited three recommendations passed at the BCTF annual general meeting last March. The recommendations urged the government to ensure that targeted funding is reaching aboriginal students. They also asked faculties of education to make courses in Aboriginal history and antiracism training mandatory for student teachers.
“The BCTF continues to make this a priority and wants to see action,” Overgaard said.
The Ministry of Education has made completion rates available online by school and district.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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Amelia Bellamy-Royds
2 years ago
Beyond the statistics
The stark difference between completion rates between aboriginal students and the general population is reason for concern.
But, for both categories, I wonder how the numbers would change if you used different statistics. Just because students don't graduate after the minimum number of years doesn't mean they dropped out -- it could mean they decided to stay on an extra term or year to take extra courses (or improve their grades) for university or college admissions.
The Ministry doesn't release "7-year completion rate" stats, but they do release grade 12 graduation rates that distinguish between "first time grade 12" students and grade 12s who are taking enough credits in a given year to graduate that year if they pass all their courses. The percentage that graduate in that second category is much higher -- 95% overall, 89% for aboriginals.
I say all this because I went to high school in the old Ontario system, where you *could* graduate after grade 12 -- but if you wanted to go to university, you went back for grade 13 to take university-focused credits. Even if that hadn't been the system, I probably would not have had the necessary credits after grade 12 to go into my desired (B.Sc. biology) program, because I had been taking lots of arts and social studies courses in high school, and did not decide to focus on science until later.
Ramona777
2 years ago
Beware of Statistics
My two children are considered "aboriginal". They are Metis and there is a big difference between a disadvantaged aboriginal child living on an isolated reserve and my urban, indulged children.
These stats need to be broken out. What are the numbers for On-reserve aboriginals? Metis? Off-reserve aboriginals?