Modified School Years: An Important Issue of Local Control of Education

Abstract

An educational system that begins in September one year and extends to June the next year is an entirely non-Native construct. As more and more First Nations schools incorporate traditional teachings into their school curricula, the use of modified school years has become a necessity as the first step toward year-round schooling. I define a modified school year as a school year that begins before Labour Day in September and/or includes scheduled extended breaks other than Christmas and the conventional March break. The use of modified school years has allowed First Nations students the opportunity to contextualize the learning process through par­ticipation in traditional activities by following the rhythm of the seasons...