Educators' Perspectives about a Public School District's Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement in British Columbia

Abstract

Historically, the education of Aboriginal people in Canada has been a paternalistic andcolonial undertaking, causing great harm and loss to Aboriginal peoples and their tra­ditional knowledge(s) and ways of knowing. In attempts to move forward from thelegacy of residential schools in British Columbia, school districts and Aboriginal groupshave begun to forge new partnerships to meet the educational needs of Aboriginal youthin the form of Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements (AEEAs). The purposeof this study was to investigate the experiences of educators as they implemented suchan agreement in the Burnaby school district. Our research intended to answer ques­tions regarding the nature of the agreement's impact on the ways in which educatorsof Aboriginal youth worked. In terms of how the members of the Aboriginal EducationSupport Team (AEST) perceived the implementation of the AEEA, our research teamfound two significant and recurring themes. Firstly, notions of success for Aboriginalstudents still relied heavily on Eurocentric measures, such as graduation rates, un­dermining other more holistic notions of success. Secondly, the flow of informationand awareness within the district was perceived to flow well vertically up the districthierarchy, but did not diffuse as prevalently across the district between and withinschools. The study also includes several recommendations to help support the AESTas they continue their important work in continuing to implement the current agree­ment. Finally, potential areas for future research are also suggested.