Victoria – 58% of B.C. students say they have seen other students insulted, bullied or excluded based on their race or ethnicity.
Empowering students and educators to identify and take action against racism and discrimination in British Columbia schools is the aim of a new provincial K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan launched on Monday, January 23.
“We know that Indigenous, Black and people of colour may face inequity within the education system,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “This action plan is a critical step forward for students, educators, staff and families as we all work to create school communities that feel welcoming and supportive for people of all backgrounds.”
The action plan will create change in B.C. schools by raising awareness and creating resources to improve the school experience for racialized students, staff and families so that everyone feels a strong sense of belonging. To facilitate this work, the Ministry of Education and Child Care will provide new training opportunities for all school staff to help them better understand their role in fostering anti-racist school environments. The action plan will also empower students and staff to identify biases and address acts of racism or discrimination with new incident-response guidelines.
K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/89E84767362543DA8333CA8E4356D957
Erase Racism: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/racism
Anti-Racism Learning Project Resources: https://focusedresources.ca/en/anti-racism-learning-resources-project
Anti-Racism Data Act: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/antiracism
If you are experiencing racism or would like to report an incident of racism, there is information on the Erase website on how to make a non-emergency report: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/racism
