The Kamloops-Thompson School Board reviewed its Aboriginal Education Annual Report.

The 47 page document looks at everything from equity within the school system to language programs to funding programs. One focus is ensuring that aboriginal students in elementary school feel welcome and comfortable. Board Chair Kathleen Karpuk says if a student falls behind early it is hard to catch them up later. “And if we put emphasis on catching students early in those primary grades and getting them up to speed and catching them up to everyone else in their class, they’re more likely to be able to continue that success through high school.”

The report includes a review of all of its policies when it comes to the first nation student population. Karpuk says it is looking to see if it has systemic and unconscious bias within the system. “So making sure that we have policies that address the needs of all students. Making sure that a policy does not accidentally leave someone behind for some reason. So those are important things that we look at, really making sure that we are meeting the needs of all students.” She adds when it goes through that process, it often finds that there are maybe other things that it hasn’t considered or other groups of students that it’s also left behind.

The report also examines the multitude of programs. They focus on everything from literacy to numeracy and Karpuk says it’s important to look at and analyze these programs. “One of our top programs that we have is our rec and read program that runs out in Chase. It’s a summer program where we send in a teacher that’s help with literacy. They also have some recreational workers to keep the kids active and in sports because we know that active kids actually learn better.”

There are about 25 hundred students throughout the district that identify as indigenous. That’s about 17 per cent of the students body.