Aboriginal Adult Education: Finding the Equinox
Aboriginal Adult Education: Finding the Equinox
An exploration of the identified barriers to Aboriginal participation in education and strategies to create equity.
Rhonda McCorriston
Student Number 6102539
October 13, 2005
Introduction Aboriginal adult education participation is significantly lower than those of non-Aboriginal people in Canada. Literacy, high school completion, training, and post secondary education engagement in the Aboriginal adult community is increasing but statistics indicate that Aboriginal people are completing high school and post secondary education at rates as low as one third of that of non-Aboriginal people. The barriers Aboriginal people are faced with when returning to school have been studied by a number of researchers over the past two decades. By exploring the research over the past twenty years about Aboriginal adult education non-completion and examining the divide between societal or systems barriers and individual or personal barriers, recommended strategies to overcome barriers and the best practices to create equity in access to education and completion can be identified and implemented. Like the equinox, the differences between Aboriginal adult success in education and training and non-Aboriginal success in education and training is like night and day. The balance between these differences can benefit Aboriginal adult learners by seeing the barriers as opportunities to support Aboriginal individual families and communities to share responsibility to create a future in education where Aboriginal education is respected and individuals are successful. Aboriginal people, whether they reside on or off reserve, are First Nation, Métis, Innu, or some combination of all of these have more obstacles than other Canadian counterparts. They may be Traditional and Spiritual, Christian, Atheist or any other religious affiliation and they may come from large families or simply be a
An exploration of the identified barriers to Aboriginal participation in education and strategies to create equity.
Rhonda McCorriston
Student Number 6102539
October 13, 2005
Introduction Aboriginal adult education participation is significantly lower than those of non-Aboriginal people in Canada. Literacy, high school completion, training, and post secondary education engagement in the Aboriginal adult community is increasing but statistics indicate that Aboriginal people are completing high school and post secondary education at rates as low as one third of that of non-Aboriginal people. The barriers Aboriginal people are faced with when returning to school have been studied by a number of researchers over the past two decades. By exploring the research over the past twenty years about Aboriginal adult education non-completion and examining the divide between societal or systems barriers and individual or personal barriers, recommended strategies to overcome barriers and the best practices to create equity in access to education and completion can be identified and implemented. Like the equinox, the differences between Aboriginal adult success in education and training and non-Aboriginal success in education and training is like night and day. The balance between these differences can benefit Aboriginal adult learners by seeing the barriers as opportunities to support Aboriginal individual families and communities to share responsibility to create a future in education where Aboriginal education is respected and individuals are successful. Aboriginal people, whether they reside on or off reserve, are First Nation, Métis, Innu, or some combination of all of these have more obstacles than other Canadian counterparts. They may be Traditional and Spiritual, Christian, Atheist or any other religious affiliation and they may come from large families or simply be a