Congratulations Class of 2020 from Dean Kathy Hibbert
Dear Graduates and Award Winners,
Congratulations on achieving this important milestone in your lives, this year of all years. As we reflect upon all of the fear, sadness, anger and hurt we are witnessing in our world today, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. But you have just marked the completion of a degree in Education, and more than ever perhaps, we are recognizing the very important role education has to play in our lives. We know that racism for example is learned; whatever structural inequities have allowed racism to thrive must be dismantled. COVID 19 has shone a bright light on these inequities in ways that have amplified the voices of those who for too long have gone unheard. For far too long, education has been part of the problem. We did not teach our students about the histories of our Indigenous peoples beyond a colonial perspective. Our curriculum is too often Eurocentric, canons of knowledge dominated by colonial texts and ideas.
Today, we know better, and when we know better, we must do better. Today we are honouring our graduates and we are drawing particular attention to those among us who have stood out in their commitment to community, in their practicum achievements, their courses and their overall contributions at the Faculty of Education. We honour you, and we thank you. You are the teachers of tomorrow, and the future is indeed in good hands.
Dr. Kathy Hibbert
Acting Dean
Faculty of Education
