Poste - Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children

H O W D O E S C A N A D A M E A S U R E U P ?
Highest level of education attained,
all Canadians and Aboriginal Canadians, age 25 and older
Highest level attained All Canadians Adult Aboriginal Canadians
Less than high school diploma 35% 56%
High school diploma 21% 12%
Some college or university 7% 13%
College diploma/certificate 24% 16%
University degree 13% 3%
Source: Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Post-Censal Survey, 1992 and Labour force Survey, Revised
estimates, 1995 29
However, more recent data suggests a trend towards
higher educational attainment for Aboriginal students. In
1996, 73 percent of Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 19 were
attending school. 30
In February 1973, the Minister of Indian Affairs and
Northern Development adopted a policy of local control
of education so schools could better reflect Aboriginal
histories, languages, values and aspirations. Since then,
various measures have been implemented to advance the
role and authority of Aboriginal peoples in education,
with increasing emphasis on the transfer of authority and
responsibility to them. The 1996 Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples reiterated the longstanding demand
for more Aboriginal-controlled education systems. In
Quebec, the Inuit, Cree and Naskapi nations now have
their own school boards. Aboriginal-controlled education
is already in place for the Nisga’a in British Columbia
and the Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia. 31
Public schools in a number of provinces and territories
are establishing long-term policies and directives to
improve educational opportunities for Aboriginal
children. Saskatchewan is encouraging greater
participation of Aboriginals throughout its public
education system. 32 Alberta’s Native Education Program
funds school boards to work with Indian bands on a
framework for developing Aboriginal language and
culture programs and resources. British Columbia has a
Field Services and Aboriginal Education Team and Nova
Scotia has a Council on Mi’kmaq Education and a
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Mi’kmaq Services Division within
the Department of Education and
Culture. Manitoba has opened two
public schools with an Aboriginal
focus and has summer institutes on
Aboriginal education to assist
teachers in the development of
Aboriginal perspectives and
education techniques. 33 The
Northwest Territories is developing
and implementing a curriculum that
reflects Dené and Inuit cultures.
The Yukon Education Act
acknowledges the importance of
Aboriginal cultural and linguistic
heritages. 34 The federal government
also has an Aboriginal Head
Start Program to enhance the
development and school readiness
of Aboriginal children. 35
A 1992 Canadian Education
Association survey of 458 schools in Ontario, British
Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the
Northwest Territories found that 65.8 percent of
respondent schools with Aboriginal students offer
courses with Aboriginal content. In addition to courses
dedicated to First Nations content, many schools had
elements of Aboriginal education in the regular
curriculum. 36
Provincial/Territorial Curricula
The following is a summary of a curricula review
conducted by the Canadian Coalition for the Rights
of Children to assess the essential elements of
education in Canada for this research paper.
Development of Personality:
The goal of education in every jurisdiction is to
develop citizens with healthy, well-rounded
personalities, informed on scientific, ethical,
cultural, geographical, political and social matters
and on the arts, so they are prepared to meet the
myriad challenges of the rapidly-changing world.
These efforts are supported by a national program
operated by Lions-Quest to promote the