Education watchers in Alberta will be interested in a story in today's Edmonton Journal headlined Minister seeks aboriginal education funding boost. The negotiations the article describes are part of Alberta Education's ongoing efforts to improve First Nations and Métis student achievement across the province.
The 2009 Alberta Education business plan noted the challenges that First Nations and Métis student success present:
According to the 2006 Census, half of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit population in Alberta is under the age of twenty-five. Over the last decade, the province's Aboriginal population has grown three times faster than the non-Aboriginal population. At the same time, the rate of Aboriginal youth completing high school is only half the rate of other students. The achievement gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, Métis and Inuit people also remains an issue, particularly for First Nations students. Even though the federal government is responsible and accountable for the delivery of education to First Nations students, Albertans recognize that it is essential that all students have equitable access to education. Finding innovative and collaborative ways to address the challenges facing First Nations, Métis and Inuit students will be essential to improving completion rates and student success.
The 2009 business plan also introduced a new organizational goal that puts renewed emphasis on First Nations and Métis student success.
Measuring Student success for First Nation children should start in elementary. My experience with educators in non-aboriginal schools regarding myself first and foremost was not as successful as I would of liked. You fall through the cracks as a member of the First Nation Community for many reasons but mainly for your heritage, by fellow students and educators themselves. I attended a Day School in my community and went off the reserve to attend High School in the neighboring community, the transition was a process in itself and teachers just promoted you to the next grade to get rid of you and my parents did not go to parent teacher interviews. With my daughters who attend off reserve schools things are different, I attend parent teacher interviews regularly and at one point my youngest daughter an honor student had an issue that was left unresolved in which affected her tremendously. Hopefully she can catch up this year because although she called the meeting with the Principal, her teacher and the Native Laiison their was nothing done regarding her request and the teacher as well as the principal seemed to treat her differently afterwards. Where is the fairness when First Nation children speak up?