Aboriginal Post Secondary Completion Rates (M1-4)

Something that comes up time and time again in Aboriginal education are high school and post-secondary completion rates.  It is understandable that completion rates may be lower when First Nations students are enrolled in less traditional and, for lack of a better word, more Western institutions but most Aboriginal youth in Canada attend off-reserve high schools and colleges so the issue is worth investigating.

An article by Tracy King from the University of Toronto takes a critical look at the issue in her article “Fostering Aboriginal Leadership: Increasing Enrolment and Completion Rates in Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions” published in 2008.  The article can be found here with a library link here.

The article does a good job of contrasting Aboriginal vs Western leadership, the role of government and their impact on the educational system for Aboriginal youth in Canada.  Beyond this, the article offers a number of options and strategies to increase completion rates at the post secondary level.  King concludes that the key to improving this scenario is a hollistic approach and a collaborative strategy involving educational leaders and decision-makers at all levels.