Supporting Indigenous Learners in Upper Secondary Education

The choice and diversity of upper secondary education create great potential to respond to the needs of Indigenous learners, and high stakes at this level make it critical to promote learners' success. Having historically been marginalized in educational settings around the world, it is essential that Indigenous students receive a supportive environment and the resources to succeed at this level. This policy brief provides reflections on the topic of supporting Indigenous learners in upper secondary education from a Peer Learning Discussion hosted by the OECD’s Above and Beyond: Transitions in Upper Secondary Education project. In December 2021, the project organised an informal discussion with participants from New Zealand and two provinces in Canada (Alberta and Manitoba), focusing on the systems’ experiences of supporting Indigenous learners at this level. This policy brief presents a summary of insights shared during this informal discussion, as well as background on the issues participants raised.