Raising the Grade on What BC Kids Learn About Aboriginal People – The Tyee

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Raising the Grade on What BC Kids Learn About Aboriginal People

When it comes to our first peoples, Canadians are pretty ignorant. Critics say school is a prime place to fix that.

By Katie Hyslop, Today, TheTyee.ca

Changing the school experience for aboriginal children may be a slow process, but it’s one that’s getting a lot of attention. After decades of languishing behind their non-aboriginal peers, aboriginal education deficits and reforms are making headlines across the country. Grades are slowly but surely going up, as is federal funding for aboriginal education on reserves.

But while attention is paid to improving the education experience for aboriginal children, there is much room for improvement in what the rest of Canada learns about aboriginal people in school, say those pushing to evolve the curriculum.

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In June, Postmedia News conducted an online poll asking Canadians their opinions on the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the federal government: over two-thirds of respondents believed that not only are aboriginals treated well by the government, but also they receive too much federal money.

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