Portuguese-Canadians and their academic underachievement in high school in British Columbia: A case of an invisible minority

On average, Portuguese-Canadians have a lower educational attainment than other ethnicities. With the exception of the Toronto School Board, this issue has been relatively ignored across Canada. I attempt to fill this gap by -focussing on Portuguese-Canadians in British Columbia, specifically in Vancouver, using Census data to provide a statistical profile, and conducting focus groups to identify some of the key challenges participants faced throughout school. Analysing these two data sources brings out a number of alternatives that have been divided into two categories, community and formal school system. On the whole, these alternatives are relatively low cost in comparison to the current level of funding on education and work mainly within the community to foster an interest and growth in educational attainment. Finally, the conclusion recommends the best course of action and role for public policy over time.