Aboriginal Mini-School Considered

The Vancouver School Board held its second public meeting yesterday in search of feedback for its proposal to start an aboriginal mini-school.

The hope is that a separate program would give First Nations high school students a better sense of belonging and, by extension, more motivation to do well and stay in school.

Board chair Patti Bacchus said the proposal is in only its early stages.

“The preliminary idea is … it would be a school within a school that approaches curriculum through an aboriginal lens using aboriginal history (and) traditions.”

Members of the aboriginal community would be closely consulted and their expertise used in the classroom.

Bacchus said there are “complex historical reasons” why many aboriginal students face barriers to success, including racism and poverty.

“We hear a lot about the impact of the residential schools that broke down the chain of parenting and families.”

Jo-ann Archibald, associate dean for indigenous education at the University of B.C. and former director of the Native Indian Teachers Education Program, is writing a report based on the student and public consultations.

She said the mini-school is a “wonderful idea” and has nothing to do with segregation.

“I don’t see any outcry about segregation for (language-immersion schools),” she said.

Deborah Jeffrey, acting executive director of the First Nations education steering committee, added it’s only segregation if it’s forced upon the community.

“Public institutions can play a pivotal role in transforming relations between the aboriginal and non-aboriginal community, and it’s time we start doing that proactively,” she said.