WGSS, along with all Langley District schools, is excited to expand Indigenous Studies courses offered at the school. The BC Ministry of Education recently announced a new Indigenous Graduation Requirement that will come into effect for the 2023-2024 school year.  Students are now required to have one four-credit Indigenous focused course. The graduation requirement reaffirms our province’s commitment to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and adheres with Indigenous focused anti-racism strategies.  WGSS is excited to offer a range of options from Grade 10 to Grade 12 to allow students to fulfil the new requirement.

WGSS students have numerous four credit opportunities to engage in learning to meet the graduation requirements. These choices include:

GRADE

GRADE 10

GRADE 11

GRADE 12

ENGLISH

English First Peoples 10
(four credits)

English First Peoples 11
(four credits)

English First Peoples 12
(four credits)

SOCIALS

Contemporary Indigenous Studies 12*
(four credits)

BC First Peoples 12*
(four credits)

* Can take in Grade 11 or 12

Contemporary Indigenous Studies 12*
(four credits)

BC First Peoples 12*
(four credits)

* Can take in Grade 11 or 12

Learn More

The following is a video that was co-developed by the Ministry of Education and Child Care and the First Nations Education Steering Committee. It shares a diverse range of perspectives on the important graduation requirement and how it will benefit all residents of British Columbia.

 

Why Indiginous Focused Courses Matter to Students

"Learn the true history: land, traditions, perspectives and stories"
"To respect the teachings of the land on which we reside, to expand our knowledge through and with Indigenous perspectives"
“Indigenous studies provide broader insight (more than Eurocentric teachings)”
“To change the future”
“I wanted to learn relevant information and expand my worldview from diverse perspectives”
“I come from an Indigenous background, and I wanted to learn about my history because it is not talked about enough”
“To learn more about past and present injustice and challenges and to understand more about intergenerational trauma and resilience”
“EFP12 counts as a standard English credit – which I didn’t know before”
“To shed light and educate people on the experiences Indigenous Peoples face and experienced”
“Important to learn about Canada’s history and recognize the stories of the land and its original inhabitants”