People for Education makes key recommendations to adhere to 11 calls to action
NationTalk: Huntsville Forester – On April 23, People for Education released a progress report, Still Waiting for Truth and Reconciliation, on Indigenous education in Ontario.
People for Education is an independent, non-partisan, charitable organization working to support and advance public education through research, policy and public engagement. People for Education supports publicly funded schools in Ontario.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROVINCIAL SCHOOLS AND FEDERAL SCHOOLS?
According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, more than 80 per cent of First Nations students attend provincially funded schools or off-reserve schools. Schools on First Nations communities are federally funded.
WHAT IS THE STILL WAITING FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION REPORT?
The Still Waiting for Truth and Reconciliation report is based on People for Education’s 2022-23 annual Ontario school survey, which involved 1,044 publicly funded schools among the 72 publicly funded school boards in Ontario. First Nations schools on reserve were not included in the survey. School boards are required to collect education data including race related data.
HOW DO THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION CALLS TO ACTION RELATE TO EDUCATION?
• Calls to action six to 12 and 62 to 66 relate to education; all calls have not been implemented.
Call 62 includes the creation of age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, treaties and Aboriginal peoples, to provide education for post-secondary teachers on Indigenous teaching methods.
• Call 63: a focus on building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect.
• Call 64: to include Indigenous spirituality as part of faith-based school curriculum.
WHAT ARE THE FINDINGS OF THE 2022-23 STILL WAITING FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION EDUCATION REPORT?
• 72 per cent of secondary schools are offering an Indigenous studies course, compared to 40 per cent of secondary schools in 2013-14.
• 41 per cent of elementary schools and 68 per cent of secondary schools reported offering opportunities to talk with Indigenous elders and/or knowledge keepers.
• Indigenous guest speakers rose significantly over the last decade, increasing from 23 per cent in 2012 to 55 per cent for elementary schools and from 41 per cent in 2012 to 76 per cent for secondary.
• Between 2012 and 2022, the proportion of schools offering Indigenous languages programs increased from four to 13 per cent for elementary schools, and from 11 to 20 per cent for secondary schools.
• 72 per cent of schools in northern Ontario reported offering activities such as ceremonies and land-based activities (medicine walks, drumming, dancing, storytelling), compared to 30 per cent of schools in the Greater Toronto Area.
• In 2021, the Ministry of Education announced a plan to work with Indigenous partners to add mandatory Indigenous-focused curriculum to social studies for grades 1 to 3 by September 2023. The content focus was to be the role of family and resilience in First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, Indigenous historical and contemporary realities, Indigenous Peoples’ connection with the land, the residential school system, and the reclamation of identity, language, culture and community connections. As of April, the revamped curriculum has not been released.
• In 2022, the Ministry released new science and technology curriculum for grades 1 to 8; after working with Indigenous partners, the government made a unilateral decision to remove or modify 16 Indigenous-related curriculum expectations. This occurred three weeks before the release of the curriculum.
• As of February, 15 of 72 Ontario school boards have implemented the mandated Grade 11 Indigenous content English course. Some school boards are offering the Indigenous history course as the only option, despite the Ministry mandated Grade 11 Indigenous English course.
• The Ministry of Education allocated $120.5 million to fund, “programs and initiatives to support the academic success and well-being of Indigenous students, to build the knowledge of all students and educators on Indigenous histories, cultures, perspectives and contributions.”
Board funding is based on total enrolment, the number of students in Indigenous studies and language programs, and the number of students who have self-identified as Indigenous. It is unclear if funding is being allocated where it is most needed. Ontario is behind in its collection and reporting of data as it relates to Indigenous education.
Over the last 10 years, some education progress has been made; however, much work must be done to complete the 11 calls to action relating to Ontario Indigenous education.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Mandate the NBE/NBF3U Indigenous studies course in place of Grade 11 English/French at the provincial level and increase the number of elementary and secondary schools offering Indigenous language programming.
• Hire Indigenous education teachers/workers.
• Provide Indigenous professional development for educators.
• Improve data collection and reporting outcomes of Indigenous students.
• Provide funding to support Indigenous language programs and holistic ways of knowing for K-12 students.
• Create an Indigenous task force to support the Ontario Ministry of Education and the 72 publicly funded school boards in response to the calls to action.
Joyce Jonathan Crone is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter. She is Mohawk, born on the Six Nations Reserve. A retired teacher, she now makes Huntsville her home.