Note: This was created as a blog post for my Alberta Politics and Government Class, but since we have so many education students in this class, and since I haven’t posted anything overly academic on here yet, I thought I’d post it.
——————————————————————————-
Alberta delights in one of the most updated and advanced curriculum in all of Canada. However, Alberta has either the highest or second highest drop out rates in Canada, depending on what study and what year you look at. This has continually been one of the biggest criticisms of Alberta Education. And among all drop-outs in Alberta, Aboriginal students - both on and off reserve- have had the highest rates.
A new joint initiative by Alberta Education, the Government of Canada, and the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs in Alberta have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on education which goals are to increase the success of First Nations learners. Key features of the MOU include:
- creation of an “Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre,” to offer expertise on First Nations matters.
- an Alberta First Nations Education Circle with senior officials to oversee the plan, and
- a committee to create a “long-term strategic plan.”
This all sounds well and good - great even. I did my first education practicum teaching grade 3 on a reserve school, and by and far the biggest issue facing the school was attendance - even in grade 3. And as the students get older, the attendance just gets worse. I worry that this is just paying lip service to this issue. The target is to get Aboriginal graduation rates up to par with the rest of the province - which quite honestly, still isn’t great. And there is no solid time line, and no additional funding; though to be fair, the funding is not the province’s jurisdiction (Funding for First Nations students, attending school both on and off reserve, comes from the Federal Government).
This is a great first step, and I think other parts of the Alberta Curriculum will benefit from the additional resources that will come with the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre, specifically First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) Language programs and Aboriginal Studies. Overall, I’d put this in the win column for education.
#BP
