Schooling

Education has been called “the key that unlocks the door to the future” (RCAP 1996b:161). There are many types of knowledge and many things of great value that can be learned outside the classroom.

However, a sound formal education is increasingly important for participation in today’s workforce and is often a key component of mental and intellectual well-being. This section examines various aspects of education among the Aboriginal non-reserve population, and contains information on attendance at residential schools.

Young Aboriginal people in the school system
Residential schools

Young Aboriginal people in the school system

More Aboriginal youth finishing secondary school

As large numbers of people retire and leave the work force in coming years, employment opportunities will exist for many well educated young Aboriginal people. Aboriginal youth are making strides that could contribute to their success in the paid labour market. Since 1996, a larger percentage of Aboriginal youth have graduated from secondary school.

According to the census, just over one-half (52%) of non-reserve Aboriginal people aged 20 to 24 in 1996 had incomplete secondary school as their highest level of schooling. By 2001, this figure had declined to 48%. The comparable figure for the total Canadian non-reserve population in this age group in 2001 was 26%.

Youth in all three main Aboriginal groups made gains during this five-year period, although the situation improved more substantially for some groups than for others. For Inuit aged 20 to 24, the percentage with less than high school dropped from 66% in 1996 to 59% in 2001. Among Métis in the same age group, the figure declined from 47% to 42%. However, the situation for non-reserve North American Indian youth remained unchanged at 52%.

Obstacles to elementary and secondary school completion

Despite progress, Aboriginal youth still face challenges in the school environment. Several factors have contributed to many young Aboriginal people leaving the school system early.

According to the 2001 APS, the most common reason that young Aboriginal people aged 15 to 19 left elementary or secondary school early was that they were bored.⁷ One-fifth (20%) of young people reported this reason. About 15% said they left school because they wanted to work.

Reasons differed between young men and women. Nearly one-quarter of young men aged 15 to 19 (24%) said they left school because they were bored, while 19% said they wanted to work. Among women in this age group, one-quarter (25%) cited pregnancy or the need to care for children, while 15% said they were bored, the second most common reason.

Aboriginal people more likely to complete their schooling later in life

Some young people aged 15 to 19 who leave the school system before graduating from secondary school will eventually return to school to complete their studies. Aboriginal people are more likely than others to return to school later in life.

According to the 2001 Census, 9% of the non-reserve Aboriginal population aged 20 to 64 was attending school full-time, compared with 7% of the total Canadian non-reserve population. In fact, a higher percentage of Aboriginal adults attended school full-time in 2001, compared with all Canadians in every age group except those 20 to 24.

For example, among those aged 25 to 29, 14% of non-reserve Aboriginal people attended school full-time compared with 11% of the total Canadian non-reserve population the same age. The picture was similar for people aged 30 to 34 where the percentages were 10% for the non-reserve Aboriginal population and 5% for all Canadians not living on reserve.

Aboriginal people making progress at the post-secondary level

The situation among non-reserve Aboriginal people is also improving at the post-secondary level. Census data for 1996 show that 34% of Aboriginal people aged 25 to 44 residing in non-reserve areas had completed post-secondary studies. By 2001, this figure had risen to 39%. The 2001 proportion for the total Canadian non-reserve population was higher at 55%.

However, the post-secondary gap between Aboriginal people and others has narrowed slightly with time. In 1996, for every 100 non-Aboriginal people aged 25 to 44 with a post-secondary diploma or degree, there were 68 Aboriginal people.⁸ By 2001, this ratio had increased slightly to 71 Aboriginal people for every 100 non-Aboriginal people.

Each of the three main Aboriginal groups in the country made progress at the post-secondary level over this time period. The percentage of North American Indian people aged 25 to 44 with a completed post-secondary education rose from 34% to 38%. Figures for the Métis went from 35% to 42%, while the percentage for Inuit increased slightly from 30% to 32%.⁹

Family responsibilities top list of reasons for not completing post-secondary studies

Family responsibilities and finances topped the list of reasons among the Aboriginal non-reserve population for not finishing post-secondary studies, according to the 2001 APS. Family responsibilities were cited by 24% of individuals aged 25 to 44, while 22% of people cited financial reasons (Chart 6).

Again, reasons differed among men and women. Men were most likely to report financial reasons (24%) while the reason most frequently cited by women was family responsibilities (34%).

Chart 6. Selected reasons for not finishing post-secondary schooling, Aboriginal identity population age 25-44, non-reserve, Canada, 2001

Aboriginal specific preschool programs most common in Far North

In recent years, early childhood development programs designed specifically for Aboriginal children have been introduced in many communities. According to the APS, in non-reserve areas, 53% of Aboriginal children aged 4 to 14 had attended some type of early childhood development or preschool program. Of these, 18% had taken part in a program specifically designed for Aboriginal children.

Programs of this type were most common in the North. In the Canadian Arctic, roughly one-third (34%) of Aboriginal children had gone to a preschool program. Of these children, 62% were part of a program specifically for Aboriginal children.

The rates for rural and urban areas were similar. Just over half of children had taken part in a preschool program and of these, about 16% were in a program for Aboriginal children.

Inuit youth most likely to have been taught by Aboriginal teachers

The presence of Aboriginal teachers and aides in the classroom could lead to a more positive education experience as they can serve as role models and may have an approach to education that is more culturally relevant for Aboriginal students.

APS data show that among Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 24 living in non-reserve areas, 30% said that they had had an Aboriginal teacher or aide. Young Inuit in the Far North were most likely to have had an Aboriginal teacher or aide - 81% - well above the 32% of non-reserve North American Indian youth and 22% of Métis young people.

Older Aboriginal people were less likely to have been taught by an Aboriginal teacher or aide: 18% of those aged 24 to 44 and 7% of Aboriginal people aged 45 to 64.

Top of Page

Residential schools

For over a century, the residential school system operated across Canada, leaving a lasting impact on several generations of Aboriginal people. In many cases, this system negatively impacted students’ physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual well-being. This section focuses on the percentage of Aboriginal people in non-reserve areas that attended a residential school and the attendance of other family members.

The data shown in this report are for those living in non-reserve areas only and do not include a large number of people living in First Nations communities who attended residential school (see Residential school system: A backgrounder”). The latter will be discussed in a forthcoming report.

It is important to note that all the percentages of people attending residential school are based on the population that ever attended school. People without any formal schooling are not included.

Many Aboriginal people in non-reserve areas aged 35 and over attended residential school

About 33,800 Aboriginal people aged 15 and over residing in non-reserve areas, attended a residential school. This represented 6% of the Aboriginal population with some formal education.¹⁰ However, there were many differences by age and Aboriginal group. About 10% of those aged 35 and over attended a school of this type. People aged 65 and over were the most likely to have attended. About 17% of people in this age group stated that they had attended a residential school, followed by 12% of those aged 55 to 64 (Chart 7).

There were also differences in attendance between Aboriginal groups. About one-quarter (26%) of Inuit aged 35 and over attended, as did 13% of non-reserve North American Indian people and 4% of Métis.

Chart 7. Attendance at residential school, Aboriginal identity population ever attending school, non-reserve, Canada, 2001

One-third of those 15 and over had family members who attended residential schools

The impact of the residential school system is often intergenerational. This system affects not only the person who attended. There is often a ripple effect that has spread out and touched other family members, and often entire communities.

Among all those aged 15 and over, 33% reported that at least one family member (grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, siblings) had attended residential school. For North American Indian people age 15 and over, 44% said that they had at least one relative that had attended, compared with 38% for Inuit and 19% for Métis people.