Improving K-12 curriculum, training and socialization

Support PAD-led models and community collaboration

Recommendation 51: The Ministry of Education must fund the implementation of after-school and vacation programmes that centre Black histories, experiences and realities. These programs must be developed in conjunction with educators of African Descent and Black-focused community organizations. To this end, Black-focused community organizations undertaking after-school and vacation programmes for students must be supported with funding and resources for capacity building.

Improving anti-racism accountability systems in post-secondary education

Implement policy and legislative safeguards for PADs

Recommendation 52: The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must promote transparent and responsive anti-Black racism reporting and accountability mechanisms in BC’s post-secondary schools. These mechanisms must be overseen by responders, investigators and counselors with the necessary anti-Black racism training and lived experience.

Improving anti-racism accountability systems in post-secondary education

Implement policy and legislative safeguards for PADs

Recommendation 53: Together with post-secondary schools in BC, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must develop a dedicated anti-racism action plan with concrete measures to protect People of African Descent and members of other racialized groups partaking in BC’s higher education. The plan must be based on genuine and broad multi-actor consultations. The process for the Ministry of Education’s K-12 anti-racism action plan as well as the content of the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education can be sources of valuable insights.

Improving anti-racism accountability systems in post-secondary education

Deepen equity in service delivery by and to PADs

Recommendation 54: The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must require analysis on anti-racism, anti-discrimination, equity, equality, and diversity measures as part of the reporting by schools and other bodies that receive funding from the Ministry. The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must work with post-secondary schools to avert the ever-increasing tuition fee disparity between international students and domestic students.

Deepening PAD representation in post-secondary education

Implement policy and legislative safeguards for PADs

Recommendation 55: It is important that any dedicated anti-racism action plan emphasizes the need for evaluation and assessment systems that consider and account for conscious and unconscious biases. Such biases on the part of students and members of review committees tend to work against the career advancement of academics and administrators of African Descent, and of other racialized groups.

Deepening PAD representation in post-secondary education

Implement policy and legislative safeguards for PADs

Recommendation 56: The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must collect data on the number of academics, counselors and administrators of African Descent in BC’s post-secondary education sector. This mandate can be backed by the Anti-racism data legislation.

Deepening PAD representation in post-secondary education

Increase the recruitment of PADs

Recommendation 57: The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must encourage BC’s post-secondary schools to have complaint, recruitment, award, leadership, admission, and promotion committees that have racially and gender diverse membership.

Deepening PAD representation in post-secondary education

Increase the recruitment of PADs

Recommendation 58: The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must support and encourage the training, recruitment and retention of more mental health and career counselors of African Descent for BC’s post-secondary schools.

Deepening PAD representation in post-secondary education

Increase the recruitment of PADs

Recommendation 59: The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must work with post-secondary schools in BC to design and implement recruitment strategies that center diversity, inclusiveness and equity. These strategies must seek to increase the number of People of African Descent and members of other racialized groups across all ranks of BC’s higher education.

Deepening PAD representation in post-secondary education

Deepen equity in service delivery by and to PADs

Recommendation 60: Considering the nature of student recruitment at the graduate school level, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training must fund and promote research on the histories, cultures, conditions and realities of People of African Descent. Additionally, where the Ministry and the Province are funding research, it is important to emphasize the need for genuine diversity in research teams.