Media Contacts

Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills

Media Relations
250 889-9334

Alexa Fordy

FNESC manager
Post Secondary Education and Training Policy
604 925-6087

Backgrounders

What people are saying about the teacher-education programs

Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care –

“Empowering First Nations communities to lead their own teacher-education programs is a vital step toward addressing the shortage of Indigenous educators in our schools. By offering accessible, community-based training opportunities, these programs remove barriers to participation and support the development of culturally grounded, locally connected teachers. This not only increases the number of First Nations teachers in B.C.’s K-12 public education system, but also enhances student success, strengthens cultural identity and builds long-term capacity within communities.”

Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation –

“Having more First Nations teachers in classrooms will help to ensure indigenous language, culture and tradition can be passed on to future generations. Working in partnership with First Nations organizations and the education system is another important step on the reconciliation journey toward making a more inclusive province for everyone.”

Gina-Mae Harris, former student and current Hul’q’umi’num lead, Stz’uminus First Nation –

“I am an Indigenous Stz’uminus woman who completed a BEd. Becoming a teacher was a dream I never thought would happen. If given the opportunity to complete my BEd. in my own community and in my own language, Hul’q’umi’num', I would have done it at a younger age! As an Indigenous person, it is very difficult to leave your community, especially for Indigenous women who face the triple-jeopardy barriers. We are creating Hul’q’umi’num’ speakers that will be completing their teaching degree within community. I am grateful that our Nation supports SES’s language revitalization and the partnerships along the way. We hope that our Stz’uminus youth come forward and take this opportunity. No one owns the Hul’q’umi’num’ language. It belongs to all of us. We must share, support, and not gate-keep as that only creates barriers. Our language deserves to be shared to strengthen our lives. We cannot have our true culture without our language. I am happy for the current students and so grateful that they have come to learn and to teach. You are the future leaders and role models.”

Josie Louie, director of education, Stz’uminus Education Society –

“The Stz’uminus First Nation’s partnership with the University of Victoria is providing a teacher-education program that aims to address the need for qualified teachers in British Columbia, particularly within First Nations communities. This program provides First Nations students with the opportunity to become certified educators, offering them the flexibility to work either in their own communities or in public schools. The program specifically seeks to increase the number of First Nations teachers in the K–12 education system within the mid-region of Vancouver Island, spanning from Duncan to Nanaimo.”

Verna Billy Minnabarriet, council for Bonaparte First Nation –

“Bonaparte First Nation is very excited to be partnered with Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and University of British Columbia to offer an Indigenous bachelor of education in the community of Merritt, which addresses the central Interior of B.C. It is exciting to move the program forward to open opportunities for First Nations learners to be educated and work in their respective communities.  We look forward to a long positive relationship and to hopefully continue to offer this program in communities.”

Jan Hare, dean, UBC Faculty of Education –

“The UBC Faculty of Education is proud to partner with Bonaparte First Nation and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology to expand opportunities for Indigenous learners to become teachers. This community-based teacher-education program reflects the leadership of First Nations in shaping the future of education, while advancing our shared commitment to reconciliation and Indigenous people’s self-determination. We are honoured to walk alongside our First Nations partners in supporting the next generation of educators making a difference in classrooms, schools and communities.”

Azar Kamran, CAO, Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nation –

“We are proud to partner with the Province of B.C. and the University of Victoria to bring this innovative teacher-education pathway to our community. This program is more than a degree, it is an investment in the future of our language, culture and children. By supporting our members to become teachers, we are building the capacity to teach from a place of cultural strength, ensuring that future generations of Mowachaht-Muchalaht students will learn in a way that reflects who they are and where they come from.”