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First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada face unique learning challenges at every stage of their lives. They view lifelong learning as a means to develop the whole person, including the cultural, intellectual, emotional and physical aspects of being. And yet, to the extent that learning outcomes of Aboriginal Peoples are measured at all, there is evidence that we are not gauging enough of the right things. For example, high-school and university completion rates are useful statistics, but they do not tell us about the informal environments and traditional ways in which learning is acquired by Aboriginal Peoples, or how knowledge is passed on through ancestral languages.
In its first State of Learning in Canada report, the Canadian Council on Learning has tried to widen the lens on Aboriginal learning. In particular, we wanted to broaden the valid, standard and useful measures of educational success, and to explore lifelong learning from the more holistic perspective embraced by Aboriginal Peoples.
There are nearly 1 million Aboriginal people in Canada, representing 3% of the population. Of those, 62% are First Nations, 30% Métis, and 5% Inuit. The Aboriginal population is young, with six of 10 people under the age of 29. By 2017, the Aboriginal population is expected to exceed 1.4 million people, or 4% of the Canadian population.
We have found that, even in the face of a wide range of obstacles and challenges, there are signs of progress among Aboriginal learners. But we also identify a compelling need to redefine the yardsticks used to measure learning success for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Aboriginal languages and cultures—While 21% of Aboriginal people spoke an ancestral language as their mother tongue in 2001, that proportion had declined from 26% over just five years. Among children, only 16% spoke an Aboriginal language in 2001, down seven percentage points from 1996. Inuit people in Nunavut are most likely to maintain their language, with 99% of older people and 81% of youth speaking Inuktitut fluently or relatively well. Aboriginal Peoples support access to bilingual and immersion programming for their children, similar to that which is available for the English and French populations. However, apart from a few regional examples, the total number of bilingual immersion programs accessible to Aboriginal learners across the country remains unknown. For example, traditional language and culture classes are offered within half of the First Nations schools in British Columbia, although only 15% are able to integrate them across most of the curriculum. However, none of these schools had a complete immersion program. Early development and learning—With relatively higher rates of adult unemployment and single parenthood, poverty affects more than four in 10 Aboriginal children. Many youngsters are also growing up in poor health and unsuitable living conditions, which can impede their early development and capacity to learn. For example, Aboriginal children have higher rates of injury, disability and respiratory problems than children in the general Canadian population. Aboriginal children’s access to early childhood development programs has improved in recent years. In 2001, for example, the proportion of six-year-olds living off reserves who had participated in preschool programs specifically designed for Aboriginal children had risen from 4% to 16% in just eight years. Even so, about 90% of Aboriginal children lacked access to early childhood programming specific to their needs. School-based learning—In 2001, 57% of Aboriginal people between the ages of 20 and 24 had at least completed high school, a steady increase from 38% in 1981. Still, the proportion of young Aboriginal adults who had not completed high school was more than 2.5 times higher than among the non-Aboriginal population. Historically, many Inuit and on-reserve First Nations students left high school before graduating because they had to travel to distant provincial and territorial facilities, leaving the support of their family and community behind. However, in Nunavut communities, as access to local high schools has improved in recent years, Inuit students now cite other reasons for leaving high school early, such as taking a job, helping at home or caring for a child. Post-secondary education and skills training—In 2001, 40% of registered Indians were attending or had completed a post-secondary education program, compared to 23% in 1986. The rate for other Aboriginal people was 45% in 2001, up from 36% 15 years earlier. For most Aboriginal people, post-secondary education means college or trades school. The proportion of Aboriginal adults who completed college or vocational training was similar to the rate among non-Aboriginal Canadians. Métis adults actually earned college or trades credentials at slightly higher rates than the non-Aboriginal population. However, in 2001 only 8% of Aboriginal people aged 25 to 34 had completed a university education, compared to 28% of non-Aboriginal Canadians. There are no Canada-wide data on literacy rates among Aboriginal people. However, some research has shown that more than 60% of Aboriginal adults living in Manitoba and Saskatchewan cities had literacy levels in English and French considered inadequate for success in today’s economy. This was also true for 69% of Aboriginal adults in the Northwest Territories, over 50% in the Yukon and 88% of Inuit in Nunavut. The comparable proportion for working-age adults in Canada was 42%. Community-based education—Aboriginal people are taking greater control over their education. For example, from a single on-reserve school in 1969, the number of elementary and secondary schools governed by First Nations communities had grown to 507 by 2004. Of the 121,000 First Nations students living on reserves in 2004–2005, 62% attended First Nations-managed schools, 36% were in provincial schools, and fewer than 2% were in one of seven schools still managed by the federal government. There is a need to understand better the relationship between Aboriginal governance over learning, the success of Aboriginal learners and the overall well-being of Aboriginal communities. The Métis, who are dispersed in towns and cities throughout Canada, have had only minimal influence over the schooling of their children. The Inuit generally share decision-making authority over education with territorial governments, although Inuit have controlled the Kativik school board in Northern Quebec since 1975.
Aboriginal languages and cultures—While 21% of Aboriginal people spoke an ancestral language as their mother tongue in 2001, that proportion had declined from 26% over just five years. Among children, only 16% spoke an Aboriginal language in 2001, down seven percentage points from 1996. Inuit people in Nunavut are most likely to maintain their language, with 99% of older people and 81% of youth speaking Inuktitut fluently or relatively well.
Aboriginal Peoples support access to bilingual and immersion programming for their children, similar to that which is available for the English and French populations. However, apart from a few regional examples, the total number of bilingual immersion programs accessible to Aboriginal learners across the country remains unknown. For example, traditional language and culture classes are offered within half of the First Nations schools in British Columbia, although only 15% are able to integrate them across most of the curriculum. However, none of these schools had a complete immersion program.
Early development and learning—With relatively higher rates of adult unemployment and single parenthood, poverty affects more than four in 10 Aboriginal children. Many youngsters are also growing up in poor health and unsuitable living conditions, which can impede their early development and capacity to learn. For example, Aboriginal children have higher rates of injury, disability and respiratory problems than children in the general Canadian population.
Aboriginal children’s access to early childhood development programs has improved in recent years. In 2001, for example, the proportion of six-year-olds living off reserves who had participated in preschool programs specifically designed for Aboriginal children had risen from 4% to 16% in just eight years. Even so, about 90% of Aboriginal children lacked access to early childhood programming specific to their needs.
School-based learning—In 2001, 57% of Aboriginal people between the ages of 20 and 24 had at least completed high school, a steady increase from 38% in 1981. Still, the proportion of young Aboriginal adults who had not completed high school was more than 2.5 times higher than among the non-Aboriginal population.
Historically, many Inuit and on-reserve First Nations students left high school before graduating because they had to travel to distant provincial and territorial facilities, leaving the support of their family and community behind. However, in Nunavut communities, as access to local high schools has improved in recent years, Inuit students now cite other reasons for leaving high school early, such as taking a job, helping at home or caring for a child.
Post-secondary education and skills training—In 2001, 40% of registered Indians were attending or had completed a post-secondary education program, compared to 23% in 1986. The rate for other Aboriginal people was 45% in 2001, up from 36% 15 years earlier.
For most Aboriginal people, post-secondary education means college or trades school. The proportion of Aboriginal adults who completed college or vocational training was similar to the rate among non-Aboriginal Canadians. Métis adults actually earned college or trades credentials at slightly higher rates than the non-Aboriginal population. However, in 2001 only 8% of Aboriginal people aged 25 to 34 had completed a university education, compared to 28% of non-Aboriginal Canadians.
There are no Canada-wide data on literacy rates among Aboriginal people. However, some research has shown that more than 60% of Aboriginal adults living in Manitoba and Saskatchewan cities had literacy levels in English and French considered inadequate for success in today’s economy. This was also true for 69% of Aboriginal adults in the Northwest Territories, over 50% in the Yukon and 88% of Inuit in Nunavut. The comparable proportion for working-age adults in Canada was 42%.
Community-based education—Aboriginal people are taking greater control over their education. For example, from a single on-reserve school in 1969, the number of elementary and secondary schools governed by First Nations communities had grown to 507 by 2004. Of the 121,000 First Nations students living on reserves in 2004–2005, 62% attended First Nations-managed schools, 36% were in provincial schools, and fewer than 2% were in one of seven schools still managed by the federal government.
There is a need to understand better the relationship between Aboriginal governance over learning, the success of Aboriginal learners and the overall well-being of Aboriginal communities. The Métis, who are dispersed in towns and cities throughout Canada, have had only minimal influence over the schooling of their children. The Inuit generally share decision-making authority over education with territorial governments, although Inuit have controlled the Kativik school board in Northern Quebec since 1975.
Existing data suggest that progress has been made in Aboriginal learning outcomes, particularly over the past two decades. Still, a significant gap remains between Aboriginal Peoples and non-Aboriginal Canadians, especially in the area of university completion.
However, the educational indicators widely used by governments and researchers, including years of schooling and performance on standardized tests, only partially reflect the lifelong learning goals and values of Aboriginal Peoples.
That is why the Canadian Council on Learning will work with its Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre and Aboriginal Peoples to identify and promote a national set of indicators that capture a more holistic view of Aboriginal learning.
The near-term objective will be to redefine how success is measured for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. The long-term goal will be to identify the learning conditions that foster economic and social success for Aboriginal communities.