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Indigenous Education : Walking on Both Sides of the River
Author/contributor
- Advisory Board on English Education (Author)
Title
Indigenous Education : Walking on Both Sides of the River
Abstract
Worldwide research has identified low school achievement levels
among students from Indigenous cultures and there is a gradual
movement to improve their situation. The Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (TRC) of the Canadian government has provided
the impetus for the provinces to examine their practices and
the Advisory Board on English Education (ABEE) congratulates
the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports for joining this
initiative.
The research literature and the media have identified a broad
range of issues affecting the success of Indigenous children in
schools. Some of these issues, such as the remoteness and
inaccessibility of the communities, poverty, the scarcity and
high cost of food, poor housing, and infrastructure problems,
are outside the scope of educational solutions, although they
combine to have a profound effect on educational outcomes.
Social and medical services must be called upon to improve
the circumstances that contribute to the educational success
of Indigenous students, and we hope this will be facilitated
in Québec by the provincial government’s Aboriginal Social
Development Action Plan. Yet education is fundamental to any
potential solution to Indigenous concerns and problems, and
any changes to the situation of the 100 000 Indigenous people
of Québec must start with the younger generation. Many of the
issues affecting the students and their success or failure in school
can be addressed by the school system and this brief will identify
some of them.
In no way is this brief a prescription to “cure problems”
in the Indigenous school system, so it does not contain
recommendations, unlike most ABEE briefs. Rather, we will
identify some of the issues that might contribute to the discussion
of Indigenous education in Québec. We hope that some of the
observations and recommendations we have made in earlier
briefs regarding the Anglophone school system will be useful
additions to the conversation, even though our perspective is
influenced by differences between cultures and long-standing
problems within Indigenous school systems.
Date
March, 2017
Pages
22
Language
en
Rights
You are not authorized to use or reproduce this work for any commercial purpose or to further distribute, perform, or alter works in any way without express permission of the owner of the copyright or proxy.
Citation
Advisory Board on English Education. Indigenous Education : Walking on Both Sides of the River, March 2017.
Geographical area
Type
Contributing CKOL partner
Resource
Link to this record
Relations
Related contributing CKOL partner
Advisory Board on English Education (ABEE)
Founded:
1991
Constituents:
English language education sector, particularly the Quebec Ministry of Education
Activities:
Advise the Minister of Education on all matters affecting the educational services offered in English elementary and secondary schools and adult and vocational education centres
Former Name:
Task Force on English Education