The Importance Of Aboriginal Education In Canada
Education has always been central to aboriginal economic and social development. A good education determines aboriginal people 's health, literacy, employment, social status and productivity. In light of overwhelming evidence indicating that obtaining a formal education and being engaged in school are strongly correlated with social and economic well being (Radwanski, 1987), educational attainment among aboriginal students has become a pressing issue in Saskatchewan and overall in Canada.
After decades of policy aimed at improving the social and economic conditions of Aboriginal, Saskatchewan’ s most vulnerable group remains far behind the rest of the population on nearly every quality of life measure available, especially education, the particular concern of this study.
At a time when population growth and labour force growth is slowing in Canada, it is particularly important to have policies and programs in place that enable all Canadians, especially aboriginal youth to fully realize their potential to contribute to the economy and their communities. This scenario has a significant impact in case of Saskatchewan, where the share of Aboriginal people (around 15%) out of total population is well above the national average [Figure 1].
This paper will explore some statistics with respect to aboriginal …show more content…
demographics, education and employment in Saskatchewan and what policies and actions are required to be implemented to achieve the desired aboriginal socio-economic development.
Methodology:
At first, selected academic literature was reviewed to bring together the common themes on the impact of educational attainment of aboriginal youth to their socio – economic development. This report is organized in four sections. First, it reviews the basic demographics of the Aboriginal identity population. This information provides a context for the discussion of postsecondary education data. The second section provides a picture of educational attainment for Aboriginal compared to those of the general population. The third section discusses the employment scenario for aboriginal population. The study concludes with a number of recommendations arising from the findings in the preceding sections.
Literature Review:
The Government of Canada confirms that Aboriginal education remains key to improving the economic condition of aboriginal Canadians (Speech from the Throne 2011). According to Statistics Canada (2008b), the Aboriginal population grew 45%, as much as six times faster than the 8% increase of non-aboriginal people. Moreover, by 2020, aboriginal students within Saskatchewan will represent 40% of all school-aged youth in the province (Tymchak 2001). Again, compared to the rest of the Canadian population, the Aboriginal population is relatively young and increasing more rapidly in Saskatchewan (Statistics Canada 2008). Given the above statistics, it is understandable that the successful attainment of education by Aboriginal youth is, or should be, of vital interest to all Canadians.
As the participation in economic development is directly proportional to the level of educational attainment, increment of the educational attainment is imperative to generate more employment opportunities. Unfortunately, It is well documented that the high-school dropout rate for Aboriginal people is high (Richards and Scott 2009). On average, aboriginal youth suffers from higher unemployment, lower level of education, below average income and limited socioeconomic status, which entices them to engage in social quandary (Wilson and Sarson 2008). The increase in the rate of youth poverty, high crime rate, prostitution, family instability, single mother, rural to urban drift, drop-out from school are - indirect offshoot from the limited accessibility to education (Gallant 2003). Therefore, if aboriginal youths are properly educated and meaningfully employed, they will not have the time to engage in social vices. By contrast, better education outcomes will result in improving youth development as well as enjoying the benefits of aboriginal cultural and economic innovation arising from the aboriginal communities. Undoubtedly, in Saskatchewan, this scenario has a significant impact, because the share of Aboriginal people (around 15%) out of total population is well above the national average (Census 2006, Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics, n.d.).
While policy literature on this topic exists, especially in terms of education issues (Jenkins 2007, Mendelson 2006, Hull 2000) , little progress has been achieved so far. However, one can of course argue that by continuing the existing policy would not bring the dynamic changes that the Aboriginal population is in dire need. Nevertheless, letting this state to continue much longer would put the Aboriginal youth and Saskatchewan economy at risk.
This literature review recognizes that aboriginal people are among Canada’s most impoverished and vulnerable population and existing socio-economic gaps between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people cannot be addressed without dealing with the gaps in educational attainment and participation in the labour market.
Current situations:
Aboriginals continue to fare worse than all other Canadians on almost every social and economic indicator. Since education, particularly higher education, is the great contributor to social and economic success, Saskatchewan must embark on a sustained effort to get aboriginal youth into higher education. As the population ages and baby boomers retire, young educated workers in particular will be scarce.
Empowering the aboriginal youth will not only improve their quality of life, but also contribute to the growth of Saskatchewan’s skilled labour force and ensure the future economic success of Saskatchewan.
A Demographic Snapshot of Aboriginal Peoples in Saskatchewan
Currently, self-identified Aboriginal people constitute 14.9% of Saskatchewan’s population, an increase of 1.4 percentage points over the 2001 census (Aboriginal Population Profile, 2006 Census, 2008; Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics, n.d.). Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal population is considerably younger than Canada’s. The median age of Aboriginal people in Canada is 26.5 years, whereas in Saskatchewan it is 21.7 years. Nearly half of the Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan (47.0%) are 19 years of age or younger. In sharp contrast, only 24.1% of the province’s non-Aboriginal population are in this age group. Today, 1 in 5 of the people between 15 and 29 years old in Saskatchewan are Aboriginal and demographic trends suggest that by 2026 more than 1 in 3 people in this age group will be Aboriginal.
Current state of Aboriginal educational attainment
Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan and Canada continue to lag behind non-Aboriginal people with respect to their representation in postsecondary training and education (Malatest, 2004; National Aboriginal Health Organization, 2003, 2008; Statistics Canada, 2008). The most recent census results reveal that nearly half (49.4%) of Aboriginal people 15 years of age or older in Saskatchewan have neither a high school degree nor a postsecondary degree, certificate, or diploma (Statistics Canada, 2008). Across the province as a whole, only 30.2% of people in this age group do not have a degree, certificate, or diploma. Similar disparities exist at a national level. Nationally, 43.7% of Aboriginal people in this age group do not have a degree, certificate, or diploma. For Canadians in this age group as a whole, the figure is only 23.8%. Without a high school diploma, it is difficult to access postsecondary training or education and so, given the statistics presented above, it is not surprising that Aboriginal people in this same age group1 in Saskatchewan have lower educational attainment rates in the postsecondary system than non-Aboriginal people. A significant majority (71.4%) of Aboriginal people in this age group have no postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree. For the province as a whole, this figure is only 57.1% and nationally it is even lower at 49.3%.
Socioeconomic indicators
Employment trend:
Currently, Aboriginal people form less than one-tenth of the active labour force in Saskatchewan and nearly one-third of the unemployed (Statistics Canada, 2008). Given that these figures refer to the portion of the adult population that is ready and willing to work, this disparity is staggering
The gap in living standards between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals in Canada is shocking. On nearly every social and economic indicator of well-being, Aboriginal people trail other Non-aboriginals. Life expectancy, for example, is often similar to that in developing nations. The gap that separates Canada’s most vulnerable group from the rest of its population is growing. From secondary to post-secondary education, many studies demonstrate that increased education is highly correlated with material well-being. As with other social and economic indicators, Aboriginals in general fall far behind Canadians in terms of their level of formal education.
Thus, getting Aboriginal entrants into the Canadian labour market is not just a moral imperative in order to improve the well-being of Aboriginals: it is absolutely essential to easing Canada’s coming labour shortage. Michael Mendelson is not overstating the fact when he argues that “Canada’s future prosperity depends on how successful we are in achieving equitable results in our labour market for Aboriginal Canadians.”30
The links among better education, better jobs and better income have been substantially documented. Hull [2005: 150] concludes “Throughout the study there is ample evidence that educational attainment leads to greater opportunities in the areas of employment and income.” In his study of returns to education among Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan, Howe [2002: 1] shows that Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal people achieve a high rate of financial return on their educational investment. So better education outcomes, including postsecondary graduation, does increase income, which implies that improving PSE success among Aboriginal peoples will result in improved socioeconomic status and, in so doing, contribute to the social and economic well being of Canada.
To the Aboriginal population, achieving higher levels of post-secondary education provides increased opportunities for employment and income and, to Aboriginal communities, a more highly educated population may provide a stronger base for economic and other forms of community development. To Canada, the Aboriginal population represents a growing segment of the Canadian labour force and it is important to the country that it be a well educated segment, contributing to Canadian society in many ways. Nevertheless, within the progress that has been made there are some clear weaknesses. When looked at in relative terms, educational attainment levels are not increasing as quickly among the Aboriginal population as among the non-Aboriginal population. The result is a continuing gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educational levels.
Conclusion:
Recommendation:
The goal of the discussed proposition is to increase the attainment of education of aboriginal youth which will ultimately help them to join the labour force.
After reviewing the discussed scenario, public private partnership (PPP) is recommended for adoption.
PPP- a partnership that juxtaposes public and private bodies and propagates collaborations and partnerships between responsible ministries and agencies including academic, internet societies, media houses, universities, non-governmental organisations, youth organisations, education institutes, etc. If the Government can continue this mutual engagement, Saskatchewan will move into the higher trajectory of educational attainment of aboriginal youth, which is bound to give all better dividends in sustainable and inclusive economic
growth.
Generally, before implementing any policy, Government always focus on the implication result of the proposed alternative in other jurisdiction. Again, in this case, PPP has already proved its potential not only in aboriginal communities but also in various facets of disadvantaged population in an assortment of regions namely, Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia, etc. The alternative should be implemented by embarking on the following initiatives:
Need for strong support from govt. officials for promoting private sector
Establish a National Task Force comprising selected personnel from both sectors
Release government land for use by private education providers.
Provide soft-loans to private schools through an education finance facility
Capacity building training program for staff.
Carry out sensitization programmes/ advocacy coalition visits to affected groups.
Fund can be sourced from the provincial and federal budget and private organizations
Some questions may arise in respect of the partnership. Therefore, in order to make this partnership efficient, there is a need for an integrated response of regulation and cost-sharing vis-à-vis access to capital, skilled staff, infrastructures, parental awareness and bureaucracy.
In conclusion, strong collaborative relationships among agencies, policy implementers, stakeholders and youth organisations have been successful in the areas of attracting youths into education. When several groups come together with the aim of jointly forming a partnership and solving a problem by pooling their resources together (synergy) is always quite promising. As in the developed and fast-growing emerging economies in Canada, it is important for Saskatchewan to stimulate, support and carefully nurture the spirit of aboriginal youth and take Saskatchewan forward with appropriate policies and actions.
Bibliography
A. Jean-Francois, S.Andrew, and L.Simon (2007). The Potential Contribution of Aboriginal Canadians to Labour Force, Employment, Productivity and Output Growth in Canada, 2001-2017. Retrieved October 25, 2010 from http://www.csls.ca/reports
Arnold J. Meltsner Political Feasibility and Policy Analysis, Public Administration Review, Vol. 32, No. 6 (Nov-Dec., 1972), PP. 859-867.
Bardach Eugene (2008) A practical guide to policy Analysis, The Eight Path to More Effective Problem Solving.
Public Private Partnership. (n.d.) Retrieved November 05,2010 from http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/edinvest.nsf/Content/PublicPrivatePartnerships
After decades of policy aimed at improving the social and economic conditions of Aboriginal, Saskatchewan’ s most vulnerable group remains far behind the rest of the population on nearly every quality of life measure available, especially education, the particular concern of this study.
At a time when population growth and labour force growth is slowing in Canada, it is particularly important to have policies and programs in place that enable all Canadians, especially aboriginal youth to fully realize their potential to contribute to the economy and their communities. This scenario has a significant impact in case of Saskatchewan, where the share of Aboriginal people (around 15%) out of total population is well above the national average [Figure 1].
This paper will explore some statistics with respect to aboriginal …show more content…
demographics, education and employment in Saskatchewan and what policies and actions are required to be implemented to achieve the desired aboriginal socio-economic development.
Methodology:
At first, selected academic literature was reviewed to bring together the common themes on the impact of educational attainment of aboriginal youth to their socio – economic development. This report is organized in four sections. First, it reviews the basic demographics of the Aboriginal identity population. This information provides a context for the discussion of postsecondary education data. The second section provides a picture of educational attainment for Aboriginal compared to those of the general population. The third section discusses the employment scenario for aboriginal population. The study concludes with a number of recommendations arising from the findings in the preceding sections.
Literature Review:
The Government of Canada confirms that Aboriginal education remains key to improving the economic condition of aboriginal Canadians (Speech from the Throne 2011). According to Statistics Canada (2008b), the Aboriginal population grew 45%, as much as six times faster than the 8% increase of non-aboriginal people. Moreover, by 2020, aboriginal students within Saskatchewan will represent 40% of all school-aged youth in the province (Tymchak 2001). Again, compared to the rest of the Canadian population, the Aboriginal population is relatively young and increasing more rapidly in Saskatchewan (Statistics Canada 2008). Given the above statistics, it is understandable that the successful attainment of education by Aboriginal youth is, or should be, of vital interest to all Canadians.
As the participation in economic development is directly proportional to the level of educational attainment, increment of the educational attainment is imperative to generate more employment opportunities. Unfortunately, It is well documented that the high-school dropout rate for Aboriginal people is high (Richards and Scott 2009). On average, aboriginal youth suffers from higher unemployment, lower level of education, below average income and limited socioeconomic status, which entices them to engage in social quandary (Wilson and Sarson 2008). The increase in the rate of youth poverty, high crime rate, prostitution, family instability, single mother, rural to urban drift, drop-out from school are - indirect offshoot from the limited accessibility to education (Gallant 2003). Therefore, if aboriginal youths are properly educated and meaningfully employed, they will not have the time to engage in social vices. By contrast, better education outcomes will result in improving youth development as well as enjoying the benefits of aboriginal cultural and economic innovation arising from the aboriginal communities. Undoubtedly, in Saskatchewan, this scenario has a significant impact, because the share of Aboriginal people (around 15%) out of total population is well above the national average (Census 2006, Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics, n.d.).
While policy literature on this topic exists, especially in terms of education issues (Jenkins 2007, Mendelson 2006, Hull 2000) , little progress has been achieved so far. However, one can of course argue that by continuing the existing policy would not bring the dynamic changes that the Aboriginal population is in dire need. Nevertheless, letting this state to continue much longer would put the Aboriginal youth and Saskatchewan economy at risk.
This literature review recognizes that aboriginal people are among Canada’s most impoverished and vulnerable population and existing socio-economic gaps between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people cannot be addressed without dealing with the gaps in educational attainment and participation in the labour market.
Current situations:
Aboriginals continue to fare worse than all other Canadians on almost every social and economic indicator. Since education, particularly higher education, is the great contributor to social and economic success, Saskatchewan must embark on a sustained effort to get aboriginal youth into higher education. As the population ages and baby boomers retire, young educated workers in particular will be scarce.
Empowering the aboriginal youth will not only improve their quality of life, but also contribute to the growth of Saskatchewan’s skilled labour force and ensure the future economic success of Saskatchewan.
A Demographic Snapshot of Aboriginal Peoples in Saskatchewan
Currently, self-identified Aboriginal people constitute 14.9% of Saskatchewan’s population, an increase of 1.4 percentage points over the 2001 census (Aboriginal Population Profile, 2006 Census, 2008; Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics, n.d.). Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal population is considerably younger than Canada’s. The median age of Aboriginal people in Canada is 26.5 years, whereas in Saskatchewan it is 21.7 years. Nearly half of the Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan (47.0%) are 19 years of age or younger. In sharp contrast, only 24.1% of the province’s non-Aboriginal population are in this age group. Today, 1 in 5 of the people between 15 and 29 years old in Saskatchewan are Aboriginal and demographic trends suggest that by 2026 more than 1 in 3 people in this age group will be Aboriginal.
Current state of Aboriginal educational attainment
Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan and Canada continue to lag behind non-Aboriginal people with respect to their representation in postsecondary training and education (Malatest, 2004; National Aboriginal Health Organization, 2003, 2008; Statistics Canada, 2008). The most recent census results reveal that nearly half (49.4%) of Aboriginal people 15 years of age or older in Saskatchewan have neither a high school degree nor a postsecondary degree, certificate, or diploma (Statistics Canada, 2008). Across the province as a whole, only 30.2% of people in this age group do not have a degree, certificate, or diploma. Similar disparities exist at a national level. Nationally, 43.7% of Aboriginal people in this age group do not have a degree, certificate, or diploma. For Canadians in this age group as a whole, the figure is only 23.8%. Without a high school diploma, it is difficult to access postsecondary training or education and so, given the statistics presented above, it is not surprising that Aboriginal people in this same age group1 in Saskatchewan have lower educational attainment rates in the postsecondary system than non-Aboriginal people. A significant majority (71.4%) of Aboriginal people in this age group have no postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree. For the province as a whole, this figure is only 57.1% and nationally it is even lower at 49.3%.
Socioeconomic indicators
Employment trend:
Currently, Aboriginal people form less than one-tenth of the active labour force in Saskatchewan and nearly one-third of the unemployed (Statistics Canada, 2008). Given that these figures refer to the portion of the adult population that is ready and willing to work, this disparity is staggering
The gap in living standards between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals in Canada is shocking. On nearly every social and economic indicator of well-being, Aboriginal people trail other Non-aboriginals. Life expectancy, for example, is often similar to that in developing nations. The gap that separates Canada’s most vulnerable group from the rest of its population is growing. From secondary to post-secondary education, many studies demonstrate that increased education is highly correlated with material well-being. As with other social and economic indicators, Aboriginals in general fall far behind Canadians in terms of their level of formal education.
Thus, getting Aboriginal entrants into the Canadian labour market is not just a moral imperative in order to improve the well-being of Aboriginals: it is absolutely essential to easing Canada’s coming labour shortage. Michael Mendelson is not overstating the fact when he argues that “Canada’s future prosperity depends on how successful we are in achieving equitable results in our labour market for Aboriginal Canadians.”30
The links among better education, better jobs and better income have been substantially documented. Hull [2005: 150] concludes “Throughout the study there is ample evidence that educational attainment leads to greater opportunities in the areas of employment and income.” In his study of returns to education among Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan, Howe [2002: 1] shows that Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal people achieve a high rate of financial return on their educational investment. So better education outcomes, including postsecondary graduation, does increase income, which implies that improving PSE success among Aboriginal peoples will result in improved socioeconomic status and, in so doing, contribute to the social and economic well being of Canada.
To the Aboriginal population, achieving higher levels of post-secondary education provides increased opportunities for employment and income and, to Aboriginal communities, a more highly educated population may provide a stronger base for economic and other forms of community development. To Canada, the Aboriginal population represents a growing segment of the Canadian labour force and it is important to the country that it be a well educated segment, contributing to Canadian society in many ways. Nevertheless, within the progress that has been made there are some clear weaknesses. When looked at in relative terms, educational attainment levels are not increasing as quickly among the Aboriginal population as among the non-Aboriginal population. The result is a continuing gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educational levels.
Conclusion:
Recommendation:
The goal of the discussed proposition is to increase the attainment of education of aboriginal youth which will ultimately help them to join the labour force.
After reviewing the discussed scenario, public private partnership (PPP) is recommended for adoption.
PPP- a partnership that juxtaposes public and private bodies and propagates collaborations and partnerships between responsible ministries and agencies including academic, internet societies, media houses, universities, non-governmental organisations, youth organisations, education institutes, etc. If the Government can continue this mutual engagement, Saskatchewan will move into the higher trajectory of educational attainment of aboriginal youth, which is bound to give all better dividends in sustainable and inclusive economic
growth.
Generally, before implementing any policy, Government always focus on the implication result of the proposed alternative in other jurisdiction. Again, in this case, PPP has already proved its potential not only in aboriginal communities but also in various facets of disadvantaged population in an assortment of regions namely, Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia, etc. The alternative should be implemented by embarking on the following initiatives:
Need for strong support from govt. officials for promoting private sector
Establish a National Task Force comprising selected personnel from both sectors
Release government land for use by private education providers.
Provide soft-loans to private schools through an education finance facility
Capacity building training program for staff.
Carry out sensitization programmes/ advocacy coalition visits to affected groups.
Fund can be sourced from the provincial and federal budget and private organizations
Some questions may arise in respect of the partnership. Therefore, in order to make this partnership efficient, there is a need for an integrated response of regulation and cost-sharing vis-à-vis access to capital, skilled staff, infrastructures, parental awareness and bureaucracy.
In conclusion, strong collaborative relationships among agencies, policy implementers, stakeholders and youth organisations have been successful in the areas of attracting youths into education. When several groups come together with the aim of jointly forming a partnership and solving a problem by pooling their resources together (synergy) is always quite promising. As in the developed and fast-growing emerging economies in Canada, it is important for Saskatchewan to stimulate, support and carefully nurture the spirit of aboriginal youth and take Saskatchewan forward with appropriate policies and actions.
Bibliography
A. Jean-Francois, S.Andrew, and L.Simon (2007). The Potential Contribution of Aboriginal Canadians to Labour Force, Employment, Productivity and Output Growth in Canada, 2001-2017. Retrieved October 25, 2010 from http://www.csls.ca/reports
Arnold J. Meltsner Political Feasibility and Policy Analysis, Public Administration Review, Vol. 32, No. 6 (Nov-Dec., 1972), PP. 859-867.
Bardach Eugene (2008) A practical guide to policy Analysis, The Eight Path to More Effective Problem Solving.
Public Private Partnership. (n.d.) Retrieved November 05,2010 from http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/edinvest.nsf/Content/PublicPrivatePartnerships