The+Problem


 * Aboriginal Education: The Problem**

Based on research from various sources, including members from the target community, a number of core issues regarding the Aboriginal education problem have been identified:

There is no formal educational structure among Aboriginal communities; there is no formal and consistent system in place, with regards to curriculum content regulation and sources of autonomy. Some of these communities have more power over their education systems than others, and some have more of their culture and language injected into the curriculum than others. The lack of a formal education system makes it difficult to funnel funding and infrastructure as it is unclear who gets funding and for what purposes it would be used (Mendelson, 2008). Normally, school boards receive funding and infrastructure from the provincial and municipal governments. However, Aboriginal education falls under the umbrella of the Federal government and the lack of school boards creates an absence of regulation and funding formulas. As a result, the schools on reserves are severely underfunded.

Over 22,000 First Nations students were attending school in 2001. However, only 4% of educators are Aboriginal in the professional teaching field. The low retention rate in schools has caused the need for more Aboriginal teachers. Within Ontario, teachers require to get their teaching certificate from the Ontario College of Teachers. The curriculum taught to them only covers the provincial standard requirements. A person can graduate from one of the nine faculties across the province of Ontario to receive their qualification. However, there are only five Aboriginal programmes that are only qualified to graduate elementary school level teachers. York University is prepared to offer a high school level programme but as the school is associated with the provincial curriculum, limited Aboriginal content can be added. (Anderson, 2004)

In some schools, Western administrators have decided on what should be taught to Aboriginals. Most of the school curriculum was focused on a European way of teaching. As a result none of their cultural backgrounds were taught. There is mistrust placed in the school system towards Natives. The school activities were assigned specifically towards the Euro – Western style rather than appealing to the Native traditions and customs such as hunting. Formal education separates the students from their community. It focuses on the school activities that the staff in a school administration feel is proper instead of appealing to the Native students. (James, 1996) .There is a lack of a culturally-relevant curriculum within the schools. This includes the lack of Native language instruction, historical and cultural content, and even a limited logistical structure (i.e. the academic calendar should accommodate some traditional fishing and hunting schedules in some of these communities).

The issue of Aboriginal education is evidenced by a very high student drop-out rate, and a very low post-secondary enrollment rate among Aboriginals in relation to the rest of Canada (“Under-Represented Groups”, 2009). The 2006 Canadian Census revealed that 60% of Aboriginals aged 20 to 24 have not completed secondary school or equivalent (Mendelson, 2008). These issues contribute significantly to low post-secondary enrolment since most Aboriginal youths do not have the required credentials.

One of the greatest contributors to the problems surrounding the current Aboriginal education system in Canada is the issue of autonomy. Individual communities are not given high and consistent levels of autonomy in regulating their own educational systems. Much of it is maintained by the Canadian government, which lacks specialized knowledge regarding community traditions, languages and culture. Witnesses testifying to the issue to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples in June 2011 included National Chief A-in-chut Atleo from the Ahousaht First Nation. With a Master’s degree in education and adult learning, combined with his first-hand experience with Aboriginal communities, Atleo asserts that self-governance is the key to improving on-reserve education. Atleo stated to the committee that, “The consequence of a once assimilative educational system has been traumatic for First Nations peoples and reconciliation should be a restorative feature of education” (“Reforming First Nations Education”, 65-66). If one observes the Aboriginal education system as a whole throughout Canadian history, it is evident that the lack of autonomy has degraded the learning experience for these communities.