Indigenous students in B.C. are completing secondary school at the highest rate in history with increased supports and an improved, modern curriculum that accurately reflects the history of Indigenous peoples in British Columbia.

“For too long, Indigenous students in B.C. were held back by a school system that didn’t reflect their history, honour their communities or meet their needs,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “It’s inspiring to see how quickly Indigenous students respond when we begin to bring down barriers to their success. Their achievements are an important reminder of why we can’t rest until our schools support every student, no matter where they live.”

In the 2017-18 school year, the Indigenous student six-year completion rate increased by 4% over the previous year. This is the largest one-year increase since 2010-11, with 70% of Indigenous students completing secondary school, and an 8% improvement over the last four years.

For Indigenous children in the continuing custody of the Ministry of Children and Family Development, completion rates in the 2017-18 school year are 58% – an 8% increase over the year before and an 18% increase since 2013-14.