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Chief Matthews School in Masset, B.C. incorporates Haida culture into its teaching. First Nations schools receive less funding than public schools and are, consequently, often faced with lacklustre curriculum and teaching conditions.

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Native children pray at the Chief Matthews School in Masset, B.C. on Oct. 3, 2012 before the start of Haida language class. UBC education professor Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald says there is an important link between culture representation in the classroom and student success.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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Starting this fall, B.C.’s prospective teachers will be required to take an aboriginal education course. The effort has been designed to increase the success of native students in schools other than Chief Matthews, whose teachers are part of the culture. (Oct. 3, 2012)John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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Chief Matthews is one of few B.C. reserve schools that are not affected by mouldy portables and a poor native education system. The school runs up to Grade 4, but many are expressing interest in an expansion to include secondary school teaching. (Oct. 3, 2012)John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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Public school enrollment in Masset, B.C. is decreasing, while Chief Matthews School – which is growing popular because it offers Haida language classes – has a waiting list for kindergarten through Grade 4. In this Oct. 3, 2012 photo, Native children are leaving Chief Matthews by bus.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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