Education or Segregration?

Hi Friends
Today to once again tackle the topic of education, specifically Aboriginal education, the province of British Columbia is flirting with a tiered school system or segregation.Mini school for Aboriginal students considered.
Should we even be entertaining this notion? A people that have experienced segregation endorsing further segregation...

First we must ask ourselves what do we want or expect of the school system? Yes the Indigenous culture took some grievous hits in the past, and now in an misguided effort to rectify these lessons of old there seems to be a concerted effort by the school boards to address this. Today many schools are offering Aboriginal study programs, from elementary to university level. In my more cynical moments I look at this as a huge f@#$-you to the Indigenous people. Think about it. Ban the culture and outlaw the ceremonies, and then "sell" it back to them at $500.00 a semester! But lets move on from my cynicism and look at what is happening in the school system today.

To bring in culture the system must remove something else to accommodate it. What would be being removed to this end?

Aboriginal parents like all parents want their children to have access to their culture, as well as a pertinent education befitting the expectations of the modern job market. Can this be done? Yes! Have others done it? Yes!

My own husband is a first generation Canadian citizen. His roots are Ukrainian, with proud Ukrainian parents who spoke their own language at home. They also immigrated to Montreal and were located in a very French enclave. As they came here before the French language laws were entrenched, the family had the option of attending either French or English school board. Being as they were not Catholic, it was decided that the children would be sent to the English school.

My husband's father wanted his children educated in their (Ukrainian history and culture) and as this was not offered to them, my father- in- law and others from the community rented a building and set up their own Ukrainian school, to be held on Saturdays for all the Ukrainian immigrant children in the neighbourhood.

This was a very viable solution to this problem, that many immigrants have seen and solved for their own children with-in their own communities.

When our own children were young we like all other parents wanted the best for, and from, our own sons. To achieve this we began early to make them aware of them selves and the world around them. We fostered a sense of self worth that was knowledge based.


I guess what I notice missing from nearly every article on Aboriginal education issues is the parents. What are their responsibilities? What of the reserve communities, and what are their expectations, and responsibilities? Do they not have a vested interest? What could they be doing to aide the children? We call them our future, yet we are not getting involved enough to bring a brighter future for all. It is a huge burden to place on the shoulders of the young to call them the future, and then do nothing to help them embrace that future. This I believe has led to disillusionment in the young and thus high drop out rates.

I am not apposed to stealing a great idea when I hear one. Why are the reserves not setting up their own community run culturally sensitive learning centers for the children and our collective future?
Let the schools do their job and teach the relevant courses to prepare our young for the modern world. Let us take on the burden of teaching our young their culture, in their own languages.
Become that age old axiom of: "it takes a village to raise a child" for every ones benefit. Most especially the young, the future!

For an insightful and inspiring (true) story on underclass children, read Stand and Deliver by Nicholas Edwards. Or see the 1988 movie.

Regards Debra