BC announces Indigenous-focused graduation requirement

The Government of British Columbia has announced that it is implementing an Indigenous-focused graduation requirement starting in 2023-24. High school students will be required to complete an Indigenous-focused course, such as Contemporary Indigenous Studies or one of 18 eligible First Nations language courses, before they graduate from high school. The introduction of the new requirement will make BC the first province to have an Indigenous-focused graduation requirement. “There’s really good work happening and I was excited when I first heard the Ministry of Education put a mandatory Indigenous-focused graduation requirement,” said Okanagan Skaha school trustee Kathy Pierre, who is a Penticton Indian Band member. All schools will be able to implement the requirement on the timetable set out, and the focus is now on supporting teachers who have not taught the course before.