Prince Edward Island’s K-12 education system has implemented several changes in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action, but there is still lots of work to do, reports Stephen Brun of CBC. Brun discusses how PEI’s K-12 system has brought more Indigenous teachings into the school curriculum and lesson plans. Native Council of PEI Political Advisor Bradley Cooper explained that PEI’s smaller provincial population makes for swift public consultation, which in turn allows PEI schools to improve their education system quickly. Looking to what still needs to be done, Cooper told CBC that non-Indigenous teachers can take a larger role in the curriculum instead of asking Indigenous people to handle the teaching. However, he noted that the council is still seeing a lot of hesitancy from non-Indigenous teachers who are concerned about saying the wrong thing . He also expressed hope that schools will shift more towards placing historical issues in the current context so that students can understand how past events are affecting communities today.
