Reaching Aboriginal Youth: issues and challenges in education

1
Reaching Aboriginal Youthissues and challenges
in education

• The Honourable Dr. Lillian Eva (Quan) Dyck,
• Senator
• STAN conference, November 2006

2
Outline

• Who are the Aboriginal peoples?
• Where do they live?
• What are their educational attainments?
• What are some of the barriers or challenges in
  education?
• Unless indicated otherwise, data shown in this
  presentation are from Statistics Canada, 2001
  census

3
Who are the Aboriginal peoples?

• Indians
• - First Nations (treaty status Indians)
• - non-treaty Indians
• 2. Métis
• 3. Inuit

4
Each of these Aboriginal groups are distinctive
with their own culture, languages, geographic
location rights. A one size fits all
stategy to improve educational opportunities and
success will not work.
5
Some statistical information

• The numbers of each Aboriginal group
• The places of residence
• The Canadian picture
• A focus of Saskatchewan

6
2001 Census
7
The majority of Aboriginals in Canada in 2001
were Indians.
8
The majority of Aboriginal People in Saskatchewan
in 2001 were Indian.
9
Sask and Man had the highest proportion of
Aboriginals amongst the provinces

10

• There are vastly different patterns in the
  numbers, percentages and sub-types of
  Aboriginal people in the different provinces and
  territories in Canada.

11
The stereotype

• An Aboriginal person lives on a reserve in a
  remote, Northern area.

12
Most Aboriginals live off reserve,while most
Indians live on reserve.
Includes Metis and Inuit who do have reserve
lands.
13
In Saskatchewan,Most Indians lived on reserves,
while most Métis and Inuit lived in urban areas.
Inferred from the other data
14
Other stereotypic beliefs

• An Aboriginal person is not to be trusted.
• An Aboriginal person abuses alcohol or other
  drugs.

15
Racism and discrimination creates barriers for
the individual and to the group as a
whole.These barriers span the whole range from
micro-inequities to behaviours, such as outright
hostility.

16
The outcome of these stereotyped beliefs

• An individual Aboriginal person, as well as
  Aboriginal people as a whole, are discounted or
  not seen.
• The marginalization of urban Aboriginal peoples
  in general and Aboriginal youth in particular, ,
  reinforces their incomplete and almost invisible
  profile in the Canadian portrait.

17
Compared to the rest of the Canadian
population,the Aboriginal population is
relatively young and increasing more rapidly.
18
About 55 of Canadians

About 35 of Aboriginals
19
In SASK, about 60 of Aboriginals off-reserve
were under 25 yrs old, compared to about 30 for
the non-Aboriginal population.


20
Aboriginals lag behind the non-Aboriginal
population at all levels of education in SK
21
If all things were equal, 4000 more Aboriginal
people would have had a Bachelors degree in
Saskatchewan in 2001.
22
Aboriginals living on reserve in Sask had lower
educational attainments than those living off
reserve.
23
Females had higher levels of education than males
in Sask in 2001 .
24
The levels of educational attainment were less
for Aboriginals than non-Aboriginals,andin both
populations,males had less education than
females.
25
If the sexes were equal,937 more male
Aboriginals in SK in 2001 would have had a
bachelors degree.
26
Reasons for dropping out of high school
Note these data are for off-reserve Aboriginals.
27
(No Transcript)
28
The unemployment rate for off reserve Aboriginal
youth was double that of non-Aboriginal youth,
15-24 yrs of age
29
Completing PSE equalizes the employment of off
reserve Aboriginals to that of non-Aboriginals.
Note 2004-05 data shown.
30
(No Transcript)
31
On-reserve data ? Remote reserves ?
32
Socioeconomic issues

• High rates of Poverty
• Family instability
• Single mothers
• High victimization and high crime rates
• Loss of identity, language, culture
• FAS, FAE, learning abilities
• Racism, discrimination
• Low levels of education, high unemployment
• Difficulty accessing services (funding, awareness
  of what is available, etc)

33
The brown baby boom

• By 2017, 21 of the population in SASK will be
  Aboriginal.
• By 2045, 50 of the SASK population will be
  Aboriginal.

34
Gender and status issues

• Bill C-31 - loss of registered Indian status
  loss of educational funding
• Drop out of male Aboriginals from school.
• Teen Pregnancy and single mothers attending
  school and PS institutions.

35
Uneven educational opportunities

• Urban vs Rural or remote schools
• On reserve vs off reserve schooling
• Parenting-childcare issues
• Funding issues
• Churn mobility of Aboriginal families.

36
Math and science literacy

• Data unknown ????
• low in PS science related programs, especially
  compared to social work, education and health
  programs.
• Programs are being developed across Canada to
  increase interest and provide hands-on SET
  experience.
• Math and science skills are needed for the trades
  and technical training, as well as for
  professional programs, such as engineering.

37
Issues

• The current shortage of skilled service-sector
  labour is diverting interest from continuing
  ones education.
• What and where are there jobs for those with
  bachelors degrees in science and technology?
• Who advises youth about staying in school and in
  career opportunities?

38
Issues

• What roles should the individual Aboriginal
  communities and political organizations play?
• How can we increase the percentage of Aboriginals
  who stay in high school?
• How do we get them interested in math and
  science? And ensure that they are successful in
  these subjects?
• How do we prepare for the brown baby boom?
• How can more funds be made available to
  individuals to allow them to attend PS
  institutions?

39
Conclusions

• The Aboriginal population is complex and this
  must be kept in mind when program development
  occurs.
• The respective Aboriginal communities should be
  directly involved in development of educational
  programming for them.
• First Nations control of First Nations education
  is considered to be essential for success.

40

• Adequate and sustainable investment in education
  is the key to to the successful development of
  vibrant FN governments and economies.
• Education is a way out of poverty.

41
Education is our buffalo.L éducation est notre
bison.Paskwa mooswa kis-kinaw mah-sowin.

42
Major references

• Urban Aboriginal Youth An action plan for
  change, Standing Senate committee on Aboriginal
  Affairs, 2003.
• Aboriginal Peoples Survey 2001 Provincial and
  Territoritorial Reports Off reserve Aboriginal
  Population, Statistics Canada.
• Aboriginal peoples in Canadas urban area
  Narrowing the education gap, Education Matters
  2005, Statistics Canada.

43

• Provincial Drop-out rates Trends and
  consequences, Stats Canada.
• Aboriginal Peoples living off reserve in Western
  Canada, Stats Canada.
• Aboriginal Peoples and postsecondary education in
  Canada, Mendelson M, Caledon Institute of Social
  Policy Research, 2006.
• Assembly of First Nations Briefing Package, April
  2006.

44
Educational Gaps identified for First Nations
people

• It will take 26 yrs for First Nations to catch up
  to non-Aboriginals.
• 70 of First Nations students on reserve will not
  complete high school.
• 10,000 FN students are waiting for funding.
• 27 of FN students (age 15-44) compared to 46 of
  Canadian students hold a post-secondary
  certificate, diploma or degree.

45
(No Transcript)