We are very excited to announce the release of our new report: Erase Racism in BC Schools: Families Lead the Way - Report on the K-12 Without Racism Year 1 Scoping Survey Findings. 

Over Year 1 of our K-12 Without Racism Project, our Racial Equity Projects Lead and 10 Peer Leads conducted outreach throughout BC to gather survey participants and establish the K-12 Without Racism Action Network. The Year 1 Scoping Survey engaged parents and caregivers about their whole families experiences of racism in BC's public school system. This is our report on the K-12 Without Racism Scoping Survey findings.

Authored by Racial Equity Projects Lead Harsha Walia for Centre for Family Equity and engaging parent peer leads across the province, we heard from 104 Indigenous and racialized parents. The findings will shape the next year of intensive community engagement to dig deeper on trends and themes uncovered by the survey.

In the lead-up to the International Day of Education, our survey findings shed light on the painful and harmful experiences of racism in the K-12 public school system in regions across BC. 

Some of the most shocking findings were: 

• Over 79 percent of Indigenous and racialized parents who participated in our survey have children who have personally experienced racial harm or racial bullying in the K-12 public school system in BC. 

• Around 40 percent of parents said their child is treated differently based on race when they need support and/or treated differently based on race when facing discipline. 

• Only 29 percent of parents said their children and family were believed, listened to, and taken seriously when raising issues of racism with the school. 

“Racism is never addressed, it’s an issue that is always swept under the carpet. It would be really great if we dealt with this vice in a truthful way rather than pretend to address the issue while, in reality, we never address the issue.”

                                                                               - Survey respondent 

Our survey report documents racism in multiple areas of BC’s K-12 public education system, including families’ personal experiences of racism, racial harm in school curriculum, systemic racism and colonialism in the administration of the school system, and lack of accountability from schools in responding to racism. The data is also disaggregated to highlight the unique experiences of different demographics of families. 

Despite commitments to ending racism in BC’s public schools and a K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan, much more action must be taken by the Province to end racism. 

When our children and families face racism in the school system, they are unable to flourish, learn, play, and thrive.  You can get involved in this important work towards change! 

1) Share our report! Please share widely with other parents and caregivers, teachers, school staff, school administrators, PAC’s, school districts, school trustees, and community groups. 

2) Are you an Indigenous or racialized parent or caregiver interested in joining our K-12 Without Racism Parent Action Network and participating in focus groups throughout BC in 2026? Receive updates and opportunities for engagement! You can sign up to join the network here. 

Together, we will ensure every child and youth in BC can learn in our public education system environment free from the harms of racism.