Ontario has 'come quite far' on Indigenous education but there's much more to be done: report

Publicly funded schools in Ontario have made significant progress on Indigenous education over the last decade, but there's still more to be done before the province can say it's fully implemented the education-related calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a new report says.

The report was published Monday by the public education research and advocacy organization People for Education, and includes findings from the 2022-23 Annual Ontario School Survey. It provides an overview of Ontario's progress in implementing Indigenous education strategies and responding to the commission's recommendations. 

Among the findings:

• The proportion of schools reporting professional development for school staff on Indigenous education has more than doubled over the last decade for elementary schools, from 34 per cent in 2012-13 to 76 per cent in 2022-23, and for secondary schools, from 34 per cent in 2012-13 to 82 per cent in 2022-23.

• 72 per cent of secondary schools reported offering an Indigenous studies course in 2022-23, compared to 40 per cent of secondary schools in 2013-14.

• From 2012 to 2022, the proportion of schools offering Indigenous languages programs has increased from four per cent to 13 per cent in elementary schools, and from 11 per cent to 20 per cent in secondary schools.

• 14 school boards are replacing the compulsory Grade 11 English course with an Indigenous-focused course centred on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit voices.

'We've actually come quite far'

People for Education's executive director, Annie Kidder, says the report said "we actually have come quite far" in terms of Indigenous studies in public schools in Ontario.

"It's one of those pretty good news stories with some gaps in it," Kidder told CBC Toronto.

The percentage of schools offering professional development to teachers in Indigenous education stood out for Kidder.

"[It] had more than doubled in the last 10 years," she said. "We see a huge increase in the proportion of schools offering Indigenous studies … which is another sort of huge move forward."

The executive director said there is, generationally, a greater understanding among young people about the importance of learning about history, culture, "the contributions that Indigenous people make, and all of the terrible, terrible wrongs that have been done by colonialism."

"There's a lot that the non-Indigenous system could be learning from Indigenous education. So, it's not a one way street here and that's very important too," Kidder said.

The report — which is based on responses from 1,044 principals from all of Ontario's 72 publicly funded school boards — show that some schools have developed strong partnerships with local Indigenous communities. But many others say they need more support from their school board and the Ministry of Education to be successful. 

Generally, schools in northern Ontario were more likely to offer Indigenous education opportunities, while schools in the GTA were least likely to offer them.

More training needed, says professor

Brock Pitawanakwat, coordinator of the Indigenous program at York University, says there's a need for staff who have been "effectively trained" to deliver Indigenous courses.

"I'm in my mid-40s now and looking back, often Indigenous education was something that I think teachers struggled with because they hadn't received this education themselves," Pitawanakwat told CBC News.

Brock, an associate professor, believes mandatory Indigenous studies would have "great value" in Ontario schools, but says he doesn't see that happening anytime soon under the Doug Ford government. 

"There have been some initiatives that have come out at the provincial level to have a new Indigenous curriculum and the current government hasn't shown itself to be particularly supportive of that," Pitawanakwat said.

"For instance, one of the first things the Ford government did when it came into power was to scrap a new curriculum initiative that had Indigenous peoples involved," he said.

Challenges along the way

A spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government has been clear about its commitment to ensure Indigenous perspectives are present in Ontario schools.

Grace Lee said Monday's report notes "many successes" over the previous several years, including "a significant increase in schools offering Indigenous studies courses and a new social science curriculum that ensures students learn about residential schools."

Lee said the government is investing nearly $167 million for next school year to support Indigenous learning in the classroom, including the Indigenous Graduation Coach Program, which helps students access mentorship, supports leadership development, and leads them to good-paying jobs.

According to People for Education, over the last 16 years, Indigenous education policy in Ontario has been punctuated by reports, frameworks, goals, and changes to funding. 

The organization noted that there have been commitments to improve the outcomes of Indigenous students, promises to work with Indigenous partners to increase all students' knowledge of Indigenous perspectives, histories, and cultures, and guidelines to support school boards in implementing voluntary, confidential self-identification processes for Indigenous students.  

The province has also made commitments to revise Ontario's social studies and history curriculum for Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, it says. And while some curriculum has been revised and a new elementary social studies curriculum has been promised for the fall of 2023, there have been challenges along the way, says the group.

Recommendations for province

As part of its report, People for Education made the following recommendations to the Ministry of Education.

• Mandate the Indigenous studies course in place of Grade 11 English/French at the provincial level, and increase the number of elementary and secondary schools offering Indigenous languages and programs.

• Provide dedicated funding for positions in schools, boards, and government that are focused on promoting and supporting effective programs on Indigenous languages and ways of knowing.

• Convene a task force of diverse and regionally reflective Indigenous educators, Elders, and students to support the Ministry of Education and the 72 publicly funded school boards across Ontario in responding to the Calls to Action regarding education. The group says that work should include the co-development of curriculum and updating the Ontario First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Education Policy Framework that was originally published in 2007.