Teacher crisis jolts federation to act

Page 6

An all-out campaign has been launched in British Columbia to respond to what's being called a "crisis" in education. The huge gap in the success rate between Native and non-Native students has prompted the British Columbia Teachers' Federation to get more Aboriginal educators into classrooms and change the teaching environment.

If Aboriginal teacher numbers are to reflect the student population, there will have to be a 500 per cent increase, and that's not taking into consideration a growing population. In provincial public schools there are about 400 Aboriginal educators, out of 40,000 teachers. Almost three-quarters are in special, alternate programs.

In one of its first steps, taken in January to help address the unique needs of Aboriginal students, the federation hired Merle Williams, a teacher and member of Tsawwassen First Nation, naming her an assistant director for Aboriginal education. Her daunting job is to wipe away the cobwebs of neglect, help Aboriginal students do as well as others, and to fight racism.

The deck is often stacked against Native students when they start school. In a sometimes hostile education environment built on the ruins of the residential school experience, Native students aren't able to overcome the disadvantages.

While some positive changes have taken place and there are notable winners among First Nations students, staggering numbers still drop out of school and fail to graduate from high school. On average, only 38 per cent of provincial Aboriginal students graduate from Grade 12, compared to 78 per cent for non-Aboriginal students. In some school districts, the Aboriginal graduation rate is a shocking seven per cent.

Aboriginal students are also greatly over-represented in special education programs. Provincial assessments have revealed that as early as Grade 4, up to 40 per cent of Native students aren't meeting expectations in the crucial area of language development. And few Native students are going on to university.

In an unprecedented move, concerned about the meagre numbers of Aboriginal teachers in provincial classrooms, the federation voted overwhelmingly in March to come up with an employment equity plan for Aboriginal teachers. While unions are notorious for fighting to protect members with seniority, the federation said it was willing to give that up as part of the campaign.

This is not an affirmative action program. The union's brass has been told to do whatever it takes to create more job opportunities for qualified Native educators.

"This is a crisis situation. Schools and communities, as well as the [federation], should respond with concerted action to produce improvements," reported the members of the federation's Task Force on First Nations Education to its executive committee earlier this year. It sees having Native teachers in classrooms as role models for Native students as one of the best ways to improve education.

"The timing is right" since a wave of teacher retirement is expected in about five years, said Williams, a task force member until she was hired for work for the federation. She said the federation is "way behind other unions and institutions like B.C. Hydro" on employment equity. This year at its 83rd annual general meeting, the federation adopted its bold Aboriginal initiatives.

"I was kind of astounded this was the first time recommendations were coming from the floor to address some Aboriginal issues that have been ongoing forever," she said in an interview with Raven's Eye.

Williams was born in the Haida village of Old Masset and, pushed by her father, became the first in her community to graduate from university. Back in 1981, she was one of the two Aboriginal teachers in Prince Rupert, where she taught for three years. Now the area, which has a large Native population, also has a large number of Aboriginal educators. After Rupert, Williams taught in Delta for 10 years.

Task force co-chair Debbie Jeffrey, one of seven Aboriginal peole on the eight person task force, said "Canadian employment equity programs are about setting goals and monitoring their achievement, not about quotas. The merit requirement is still very much in place, but we're identifying unnecessary barriers to employment," she said. "Systematic discrimination requires systemic remedies."

The federation also wants teachers to bone up on Aboriginal issues. A unanimous resolution was passed by 700 delegates at the March meeting that new teachers should be required to study Aboriginal issues before being licensed and that in-service programs be offered to existing teachers. They have confessed that despite their best efforts, teachers' knowledge of Aboriginal issues is dreadfully poor.

The challenge facing the federation and the education system is nothing short of a Mount Everest.

"If Aboriginal teachers were to reflect the Aboriginal student population of about 6.5 per cent, there would have to be more than 2,000 First Nation's teachers - a challenge when only 40 Aboriginal educators are graduating from British Columbia universities each year," reported The Vancouver Sun.

"If nothing is done, it will take over 30 years to reach that goal," said federation president David Chudnovsky.

The provincial government has given the federation $12,500 towards its campaign. The money is earmarked for helping set up an employment equity council, creating a registry of Aboriginal teachers and encouraging Aboriginal support workers in schools to become full-fledged teachers.

"You can do it in steps, because if you try to build a frame, like anything you're trying to build, if you try to do too much, it doesn't work. It collapses. So, you have to just do a little at the time. I guess that's what's frustrating to people is that things do take time," said Williams. "Our kids need role models. They need the security and, usually, when we have First Nations' people working with our own kids, they seem to relate really well. That's the reason we'dlike to see more in the schools," she said.

"Parents are the strong advocates for their own children. They have a voice and it would be nice to hear their voice to say what it is their children need," said Williams. "Your children's education is important and should be valued and nurtured through [parental] participation and involvement."

Williams said the federation is taking other steps to improve conditions for Native students. A number of workshops are being offered, which 15 people are being trained to deliver. Teachers throughout the province will be able to book sessions on Aboriginal history and culture, inclusive schools with inclusive teaching practices, and creating racism-free schools for Aboriginal learners.

Some teachers have expressed fear and concern about employment equity, said Jeffrey.

"I believe those fears are based on a lack of awareness about First Nations history and culture, about who we are as people. It will require strong leadership from the [federation] to defuse those fears. The question is: are we going to continue to sacrifice these kids or are we going to grapple honestly with these problems?"

In a recent report on the education of Native children living on reserves, federal Auditor General Dennis Desaultels gave the department of Indian Affairs a failing grade. Ottawa hasn't taken any meaningful action on education for First Nations although more than 22 studies have been done over the last two decades, he said.

Desautels said it will take Native students on the 600 Canadian reserves 23 years to reach parity with students across the country.

The Vancouver Sun replied with a stinging editorial and slammed Ottawa for "breathtaking incompetence." Taxpayers' money was being wasted and Native children were being deprived of a good education, "leaving Canadians open to myriad social problems and raising incidence of crime," said The Sun.

For further information on the teachers' federation and Aboriginal education issues, check out the fderation's web site: www.bctf.bc.ca