SD73 has signed its fifth agreement with the Aboriginal Education Council and is celebrating the increase in the number of graduating Indigenous students. The five-year agreement outlines how SD73 and the council will work together to ensure Indigenous students can successfully complete their grade school education. “Looking at things being based on the circle of courage in terms of that idea of belonging, independence, generosity, and you really look at that and being sort of the cornerstone of what students need to be able to thrive within our system,” said SD73 board chair Heather Grieve. Castanet reports that there was a 19.4% increase in the five-year completion rate for status on-reserve students in the 2022-23 academic year. The overall graduation rate for Indigenous student was reportedly 12.1% above British Columbia’s average. Grieve said that enhancement agreements like this one play a key part in the increased completion rates.
