A Central Okanagan school trustee wants a delay with the implementation of the Indigenous-related course credit for high school graduation.
Trustee Wayne Broughton suggested at the April 13 Central Okanagan Board of Education meeting the 2023-24 target school year be postponed one year in deference to current Grade 10 students planning their graduation course requirements.
The Ministry of Education says implementation of the new grad credit requirement is expected to involve a phased-in approach set to come into provincewide effect for the 2023-24 school year.
This is part of the provincial government’s commitment to truth, reconciliation and anti-racism adopted by the Ministry of Education.
“This is going to affect them, ” Broughton said of the Grade 10 students’ course planning efforts.
Trustee Julia Fraser added that any new grad credit requirement should be accompanied by the necessary funding to provide the courses to students.
The school district has adopted Indigenous culture-related curriculum courses in recent years at Mount Boucherie, a program that has since begun to be replicated at other local schools.
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The board of education has adopted two new declarations: National Volunteer Week (April 24-30) and National Day of Mourning (April 28).
National Volunteer Week recognizes the contributions of all volunteers in Central Okanagan schools.
The Day of Mourning will see flags on school properties lowered to half-mast to honour those workers who have been hurt or lost their lives in the course of performing their duties.
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School district staff have alerted local trustees to a pending name change for the ministry of education.
The ministry name change is anticipated to be the ministry of education and childcare.
It reflects the responsibility for child care shifting to the education ministry from this month.
The provincial government says, “This change, along with new investments in child care and early learning on school grounds in this year’s budget, is laying the groundwork to accelerate access to convenient, affordable and quality child care that better meets families’ needs while easing children’s transition to school.”
More details on how this shift will take shape, including a movement of the child care program support staff from one ministry to another, are anticipated at some point in May.
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The next regular school board meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m., April 27 and May 11, at the Central Okanagan Public Schools administrative headquarters, 1040 Hollywood Rd. South.
The next finance and audit committee meeting is Wednesday, April 20, at 4 p.m., at the school board office, when final recommendations for the 2022-23 school year budget will be adopted for consideration by the board of education.
The education and student services committee meeting is on the same day, at 6 p.m.
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