School District #73

On November 26th, 2010, Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake and Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger were joined by Aboriginal community representatives and members of the Kamloops/Thompson Board of Education for the signing of the third Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement for the district.

Signing the 3rd Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement are: Ken Christian, Chairman of the Board of Education, Brian Finlay, Councillor, First Nations Education Council, and Kevin Kruger, Minister of Social Development.

"These agreements have resulted in a greater involvement by Aboriginal parents and guardians in student learning," said Lake. "This engagement has contributed to Aboriginal graduation rates in the Kamloops/Thompson school district increasing by more than 10 per cent since the second agreement was signed."

The purposes of this agreement are:

• To implement strategies and ensure full effort by school staff to improve the achievement and school success of all Aboriginal students.
• To enhance all students' understanding of and respect for Aboriginal culture, history and language. 
• To enhance Aboriginal students' sense of belonging within schools and enhance their personal belief that they can be successful in the public education system. 
• To engage Aboriginal communities, parents, and Elders to participate in the attaining of the goals identified in this agreement.

"Our goal is to support Aboriginal learners as they achieve excellent results within our school system," said Krueger. "We want to build on the successes of the previous agreements signed in this district and continue to look for ways to support all Aboriginal students within our schools."

"We are proud to be signing this third Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement and appreciative of the extensive community consultation process used to draft this document," said Kamloops/Thompson board of education chair Ken Christian. "This new agreement promotes an even greater emphasis on the shared responsibility schools, teachers, parents and communities have to support and enhance academic and personal success for all Aboriginal learners in the district."

"It is important to see that our traditions and language continue to be considered a vital part of all young peoples' education," said Councillor Brian Finlay from the Kamloops/Thompson First Nations Education Council. "Initiatives such as the Elders Program, First Nations Graduation Ceremony and the Secwepemc Language Instruction Program confirm that steps are being taken to ensure that our culture is taking its rightful place in district schools."

Goals of the agreement include:

• Improving Primary Achievement results in grades K-3 in Reading, Writing and Math.
• Improving Intermediate Foundation Skills in grades 4-7 in Reading, Writing and Math. 
• Increasing elementary student enrolment in the Regular Academic Program. 
• Maintaining student attendance at a minimum of 90 per cent. 
• Improving the graduation rate. 
• Improving pass rates for provincial exams in English, Math and Social Studies. 
• Increasing student participation in Secwepemc language instruction.
• Expanding opportunities for participation in Aboriginal cultural education for all students.
• Increasing the number of Aboriginal Grade 12 graduates entering post-secondary programs.
• Increasing the level of Aboriginal parent engagement/involvement at the school level.