Prince George, B.C. – Updates to policies surrounding the Aboriginal Education Committee are in the works in the Prince George School District.

At last night’s public school board meeting the Board agreed to put proposed revisions to the District’s Aboriginal Education Board policy out for distribution to reference groups for input.

The committee would be responsible for the following:

• Advise the Board of Education on any matter relating to Aboriginal education.
• Collaborate with the Board to resolve issues and concerns affecting Aboriginal students, Aboriginal parents/guardians and the Aboriginal community.
• Collaborate with the District Principal/Administrator of Aboriginal Education or a designate as determined by the Superintendent of Schools on the development of Aboriginal education programs and services that improve the achievement of Aboriginal students.
• Collaborate on the development and delivery of Aboriginal education programs and services that integrate Aboriginal culture and language programs and foster social leadership, environmental stewardship and global citizenship.
• Direct concerns from the Aboriginal community to the appropriate person or department within School District No. 57.
• Collaborate on the allocation of targeted Aboriginal education funding received from the Ministry of Education.

Some of the proposed regulations governing the proposed committee’s work includes:

• The Board of Education shall acknowledge and support the Aboriginal Education Committee.
• The Aboriginal Education Committee will act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Education.
• The Aboriginal Education Committee will act in the best interest of all Aboriginal students of the school district.
• The Aboriginal Education Committee shall develop “terms of reference” governing its meetings, business and the conduct of its affairs, including guidelines for membership.
• The Board of Education will provide a liaison to the Aboriginal Education Committee, who may attend any regular meeting of the Aboriginal Education Committee in a non-voting capacity.
• The Superintendent of Schools and/or a designate may attend any regular meeting of the Aboriginal Education Committee in a non-voting capacity.
• The Aboriginal Education Committee may appoint one-member to the Board’s Education Programs and Planning Committee, Education Services Committee, and Policy and Governance Committee.

The Board’s rationale behind updating the policies surrounding the committee according to a staff report is to “clarify the relationship between the Board of Education and local Aboriginal communities as set out in the Ministry policy statement that was revised and in effect September 1, 2010.”

The policy statement says that “Targeted Aboriginal education funding requires the collaboration of boards of education and local Aboriginal communities to develop and deliver Aboriginal education programs and services that integrate academic achievement and Aboriginal culture or language or both.”