Photo courtesy of University of Saskatchewan, Flickr

Few British Columbians have heard of English 12 First Peoples. It is a high school course designed as an equivalent to English 12 and is open to anyone of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal background. It is accepted by many post-secondary institutions in B.C and Alberta.

Deborah Jeffrey, Executive Director at First Nations Education Steering Committee has some ideas as to why English 12 First Peoples is not widely known.

“There is a resistance to change,” she says. A vicious cycle ensues: until there is increased enrolment in the course, most B.C. schools will not offer it. However, if schools are not offering the E12FP in their course handbooks, students won’t enroll in what they don’t see.

The numbers are startling: there were just 217 students in E12FP that were assigned a mark in the 2010/2011 school year in the entire province of B.C., as opposed to the 38,929 students in English 12 in the same year.

English 12 First Peoples
A major challenge that B.C. schools are facing is finding competent teachers for the course, which makes it even harder to offer. There is a severe shortage of Aboriginal teachers in the system, and according to Shane Coutlee, vice principal at Salmon Arm Secondary School in the North Okanagan-Shuswap school district, “Non-aboriginal teachers find it difficult teaching First Nations perspective. They aren’t fully aware of [First Nations] protocols.” His experience dictates that a lot of the teachers are afraid of disrespecting the culture and tend to shy away from teaching it.

English 12 First Peoples is a four credit course and is an equivalent of English 12, its curriculum built around First Nations culture and world views. The course encourages non-conventional forms of teaching and learning, all based on First Nations texts and literature by prominent Aboriginal authors. Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples comprise three distinct groups: First Nations, Métis (of mixed Indian and European descent) and Inuit. Recurring themes of the course are the connection between individual, family and community relationships, as well as the importance of oral tradition, among others.

The course is recognised by many prominent post-secondary institutions, including the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia Institute of Technology, and Capilano College. The out-of-province University of Calgary also accepts E12FP.

Aboriginal students make up an average of about 11 per cent of the entire B.C. student population, with B.C. Government’s “Aboriginal Report: How Are We Doing?” recording the number of students in B.C. that identified as being Aboriginal at 63,899 in the 2010/2011 school year (compared to 515,216 of non-Aboriginal students).

“Education is the transmission of value and culture”
Jeffery, along with FNESC, is committed to promoting First Nations education that teaches students self-identity, to accept who they are and where they come from, thereby establishing where they want to go. “Education is the transmission of value and culture,” says Jeffrey. When you address a person’s identity and teach something that is relevant, something that says First Nations have a key role in the social fabric and development of Canada, this gives the students confidence in themselves, their ability and identity. This self-determination allows students to blossom and succeed both socially and academically.

Non-aboriginal students are also encouraged to enrol in the course, or other courses that educate and promote First Nations teaching methods. Students benefit from having a more rounded education, and becoming more informed about Canadian history, culture and the development of the country from an Aboriginal perspective. Aboriginal Peoples are an integral part of Canadian society and are present in many industries, and non-Aboriginal students would gain by being able to relate and understand their culture as they venture out into the work force.

B.C.’s First Aboriginal-focused elementary school
Student enrolment in First Nations education is suffering at the elementary level as well. The first Aboriginal School in B.C., located in Vancouver at MacDonald Elementary School has only six students enrolled so far. The school, set to open in September, is currently accepting students from grade one to three. Its curriculum is founded on the goal of instilling a sense of pride and honour into its young students for the role of their ancestors and communities in Canada, and creating strong cultural and social ties in the community. “We plan to honour and respect the culture, knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal people of British Columbia and to reflect the unique cultural heritage of each of our students,” says principal Vonnie Hutchingson in a letter to parents and guardians that are interested in enrolling their children.

Coutlee believes that Aboriginal students need a strong elementary school foundation. He says that grade four, with its stiff increase in student workload, tends to throw off Aboriginal student progress and leaves students struggling when they get to secondary school.

According to the “Aboriginal Report: How Are We Doing?” there is also a steady decline in school completion among Aboriginal students as they advance to older grades. While 87 per cent complete grade four, the rate declines to a mere 54 per cent of Aboriginal students who graduate from secondary school within six years after entering Grade 8. The six-year completion rate for the 2010/2011 school year for non-Aboriginal students was 83 per cent. Coutlee believes that if elementary schools can provide students with a sense of pride and security from an early age, it could lead to higher student success.

Vancouver School Board spokesperson Kurt Heinrich, says that more students are expected to enrol in the Aboriginal School in the next couple of weeks as the summer winds down and parents get into back-to-school mode. Parents that are interested in their children exploring their cultural ties are encouraged to apply. The school is expecting to have smaller-than-average class sizes, which Vancouver School Board insists is a plus, as students get individualised attention, which will help their academic success. Marketing for the school includes distribution of fliers and brochures to target neighbourhoods, newspaper ads, and its website.