Indigenous education experts applaud Ontario curriculum changes, encourage further learning
Global News
'The timing of this announcement is late, but what it stands to do is much more important,' said Christy Bressette with Western University.
Indigenous education experts in London, Ont., are applauding an announcement related to curriculum updates as a welcome, if overdue, change.
On Wednesday, Ontario announced that the curriculum for grades 1 through 3 will be revised by September 2023 to include First Nations, Métis and Inuit education as well as the history of the residential school system.
“The timing of this announcement is late, but what it stands to do is much more important,” Christy Bressette, vice-provost and associate vice-president of Indigenous Initiatives at Western University, told Global News.
“The fact that now Ontario is going to be mandating curriculum updates and changes in the curriculum is great news, because with that, hopefully there will become funding and we can have this move forward in education.”
Ray John, a teacher and Indigenous cultural adviser with the London Catholic District School Board, calls it “a start.”
“Working for the London District Catholic School Board, we started doing snippets of that already. When I used to go in in person, I would teach the kids dancing from my people and talk about the history and talk about things like that.”
John also offers an additional qualification course for teachers through the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association. The mini-course focuses on Haudenosaunee life, “past, present and future.”
John says it’s crucial that education start early through age-appropriate content.