https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/st-paul-questionnaire-residential-schools-1.4831707
This article created a lot of dialogue on my Facebook and Twitter feeds this week. This article and the comments that followed created a lot of discussion about blaming the teacher, blaming the school district, and blaming the provincial curriculum. Asking “A positive effect of residential schools was…” is problematic on numerous levels and how this was ever approved to appear in any course shows the lack of education and for some, the lack of compassion and understanding of such a traumatic time in Canadian history, that is needed to educate future generations. 7 years ago, I entered into my Education Degree in Regina. 7 years ago it became mandatory that all students graduating with an Education Degree from the University of Regina must have completed an “Aboriginal Studies” course. 7 years ago, there were many universities that I had considered attending in Western Canada that did not require a single course on Aboriginal or Indigenous studies in Canada.
How are teachers supposed to teach about Residential Schools in an appropriate manner, when they have no education on that area or event themselves?