How are we working together?
The Ministry of Education and Child Care (ECC) continues to meet regularly with the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) at the ECC-FNESC Policy and Legislation Table to discuss issues and opportunities to improve supports for First Nations students. The ministry and FNESC regularly present to B.C. school trustees on important matters in First Nations education.
ECC also meets regularly with Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) at the staff level to support open and collaborative dialogue on K-12 and child care matters.
Are there challenges?
While ECC meets regularly with FNESC and MNBC, competing priorities limit capacity to complete this action.
Highlights
This action represents a broad suite of initiatives through which boards of education can enhance support for Indigenous students.
Ongoing communication with Indigenous partners is instrumental to supporting this action, particularly through focused opportunities to discuss priorities such as at the ECC-FNESC Legislation and Policy Table and regular staff-level meetings with MNBC.
The completion of Action 4.03 also supports this work as all 60 boards of education are now required to have an Indigenous Education Council to advise on providing equitable educational programs and services to all Indigenous students.
The Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL) is a long-standing accountability mechanism intended to focus school districts and boards of education on improving equity of learning outcomes for all students in the K-12 public system, with a particular emphasis on Indigenous students, children and youth in care and students with disabilities or diverse abilities.
The ministry, working in partnership with FNESC, will continue to support school districts to improve educational outcomes and attendance for Indigenous learners through their district strategic planning under FESL, in collaboration with Indigenous Education Councils.
An additional mechanism is annual letters sent to superintendents with district-level Aboriginal: How Are We Doing Reports. These letters highlight Indigenous student outcomes, including the Foundation Skills Assessment as a key indicator for literacy and numeracy development, and are created and distributed by the ministry in consultation with FNESC. Letters with 2023/2024 data were sent to superintendents in spring 2025, and letters with 2024/2025 data will be sent in spring 2026.