Aboriginal learners have a greater tendency to go back for post-secondary later in life. Among
Aboriginal people aged 20 to 24, just under one third (31%) were attending school, as were
19% of those aged 25 to 29 (these rates compare to 49% and 21% respectively for the rest of
the population); however, from the age of 30 on, the attendance rate among Aboriginal people
was higher.8
2.5 Barriers to Aboriginal Learners’ Participation In Post-Secondary Education
An assessment of colleges and institutes role in addressing the needs of Aboriginal learners
and communities must first take into consideration the barriers to Aboriginal learners’
participation in post-secondary education. The main barriers faced by Aboriginal learners are
described below derived from a review of recent studies and publications by Statistics Canada
based on Census 2001 data, the Assembly of First Nations, the Council of Ministers of
Education, Canada (CMEC) and the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation (CMSF).
These barriers summarized below are categorized as: historical, social, lack of academic
preparation and prerequisites, financial, geographic, cultural and individual/personal. A number
of these barriers were substantiated in the interviews with ACCC Aboriginal member institutions
and in the survey responses of mainstream institutions. Although this overview is by no means
exhaustive, it does help to understand the situation facing Aboriginal learners and contextualize
the approaches colleges and institutes have identified in this study.
- Historical barriers are largely due to the assimilationist education policies of the federal
government which have had significant negative impacts on Aboriginal peoples, in particular
through the establishment of the residential school system. The 1996 report of the Royal
Commission on Aboriginal Peoples concluded that many current problems facing Aboriginal
communities – violence, alcoholism, and loss of pride and spirituality – have been caused by
the residential school system. Many Aboriginal learners have developed a feeling of distrust
towards education due to their or their families’, experiences in residential schools. As a
result, the legacy of this system continues to be a barrier to Aboriginal participation in post
secondary education.
- Social Barriers have been identified by some recent studies by Statistics Canada, CMEC and
CMSF and were also confirmed in interviews and the survey with ACCC member institutions.
They include the following:
- Family responsibilities was the top reason among the Aboriginal non-reserve
population for not finishing post-secondary studies, cited by 24 percent of individuals
in the Aboriginal Peoples Survey 2001.
More Aboriginal women are enrolled in post-secondary education than males as
confirmed by statistics reported by the Assembly of First Nations that in 1997-1998
there were 67 percent female students and 33 percent male students and this trend
was projected to continue through to 2005-2006.9 As confirmed by college and
institute personnel interviewed and surveyed for this study and the literature review,
female Aboriginal students are more likely to have dependants which have
implications for the types of support they require to meet family demands, in
particular funding and accessibility of daycare services.
- A lack of role models with post-secondary credentials within Aboriginal
communities has also been identified as an important factor which impacts
negatively on Aboriginal post-secondary education participation.
- The social discrimination Aboriginal students experience in post-secondary
institutions is a significant barrier to persisting in post-secondary studies.
Mainstream post-secondary institutions often seem impersonal and intimidating to
Aboriginal learners as they do not recognize Aboriginal culture, traditions and values.