Children in government care need special attention from school districts across the province to support their learning needs and raise their academic achievements, according to the B.C. Representative for Children and Youth (RCY).
“Public education should help to level the playing field for vulnerable children and youth, to provide all young people, no matter their family circumstances or challenges, with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive,” said representative Bernard Richard, who released a report on Oct. 26 titled Room for Improvement: Toward Better Education Outcomes for Children in Care.
“Significant gaps persist and it is time that government, as the prudent parent of these children, takes adequate steps to close those gaps,” said Richard.
RCY is calling for new funding to specifically help youth in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development. This funding is meant to make the government more accountable for raising academic achievement among the youth, who often experience trauma other social and economic hurdles hampering their ability to perform in school.
According to RCY, there are 328 children in care in the Richmond-Vancouver area.
According to data from the Ministry of Education, only half of children in care who begin Grade 8 graduate from high school within six years, compared to 89 per cent of the rest of students.
RCY also noted: Among Grade 10 students in the same year, 39.5 per cent of students in continuing care earned marks of C-plus or better in science, compared to 71 per cent of all other students.
RCY said Aboriginal children in care and those with special needs face more difficulties and their academic performance, on average, is worse than any other. Aboriginals account for 68.8 per cent of students in care (2014/2015 school year).
While the findings do not surprise Jelica Shaw, a coordinator at Richmond’s Pathways Aboriginal Centre, she believes there is more hope in Richmond.
“Being in care, there’s a big culture deprivation for sure, but that goes for other kids as well. For the Indigenous population, culture is key for connections, and that means other things like going to school and self-esteem don’t really exist,” said Shaw.
However, “in Richmond we do a good job because we have a small (Aboriginal student) population” that is assisted by three outreach workers in the Richmond School District.
She said Richmond has some of the highest graduation rates for Aboriginal students overall (not just those in care) in part due to an Aboriginal education enhancement agreement signed by the district.
The RCY report is said to repeat the findings of the B.C. Auditor General in 2015 on Aboriginal education, “calling on the Ministry of Education and its partners to develop and implement a system-wide strategy to close the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous student outcomes.”
