(1994). Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada: Current Trends and Issues. Purich's Aboriginal Issues Series. This book contains 13 chapters analyzing important practical issues that must be addressed as Aboriginal self-government becomes fully operational in Canada. These issues are related to social problems and policies, criminal justice, community services, education, employment and job training, finance, the land base of government, women's rights and concerns, and Metis political structures. Of particular educational interest are chapters examining Aboriginal education in Australia, four models applicable to development of Aboriginal postsecondary education, and an Aboriginal training and employment initiative in which decisions are made by community boards. Chapters are: "Aboriginal Peoples and Euro-Canadians: Two World Views" (Murray Sinclair); "The Case for Aboriginal Self-Government: A Social Policy Perspective" (John H. Hylton); "Aboriginal Self-Government: Implications of the Australian Experience" (John Ekstedt); "Community Healing and…
(1990). Literacy/Alphabetisation, Volume 13, Numbers 1-4. Literacy/Alphabetisation, v13 n1 Spr 1988 n2-3 Spr, Fall 1989 n4 Win. Volume 13 of the journal of the Movement for Canadian Literacy is presented. The volume consists of 4 issues containing articles on the following literacy education topics: (1) putting literacy on the Canadian public agenda; (2) efforts to animate learner participation; (3) building networks for literacy workers; (4) literacy research activity; (5) the needs assessment; (6) native Canadian languages and the promotion of adult literacy; (7) francophone and anglophone literacy in Canada; (8) first language literacy and multiculturalism; (9) discovering learning preferences; (10) extending writing competence for adult learners; and (11) development of good practice guidelines in literacy education. Accounts of literacy education programs across the provinces, news briefs, and notices of new resources appear in some issues. All articles in issues 2 through 4 are presented in both English and French; articles in issue 1 are in English only. (MSE)…
(1995). Multicultural Education in Australia: Historical Development and Current Status. The historical development and current status of multicultural education in Australia are reviewed, without, however, focusing on the education of Aboriginal people. In Australia, the term multicultural education is generally understood to exclude Aborigines, a distinction in which Aboriginal educators concur as they assert the unique identity and claims of the Aboriginal populations. The discussion in this paper focuses on the educational response to the massive post-World War II immigration program and the responses to the wide range of ethnic groups contributing to Australian society in the 19th and 20th centuries. There have been three discernible responses to multicultural education in Australia: (1) a move from passive to active assimilation; (2) from immigrant education to multicultural education; and (3) recognition of the economic imperatives of education. Multicultural educational research has considered curriculum reform, antiracism, English as a Second Language, and…
(2001). There Are Doorways in These Huts: An Empirical Study of Educational Programs, Native Canadian Student Needs, and Institutional Effectiveness in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada. Journal of American Indian Education, v40 n3 p24-35. A study examined characteristics of Native Canadian educational programming that might influence Native student success at 27 colleges and universities in British Columbia and Ontario. Presence or absence of an advisory board composed of Native community members, numbers of Native faculty members, and how well institutional systems fit with Native students' cultures and communities were significant predictors. (TD)…
(1990). "Think Tank" on Research into Rural Education. Proceedings of the Conference Held by the Rural Education Research and Development Centre (Townsville, Queensland, Australia June 10-14, 1990). A conference was held to develop a plan of research into rural education in Australia and to form a consortium of rural education researchers. Part I of this proceedings contains an introductory paper, "Rural Education: The State of the Art" (Steve Clark), which analyzes research in rural education in Australia in recent decades with regard to four themes: schooling (teachers, students, school-community relationships, accommodation); technology; educational delivery (equal opportunity, curriculum, decentralization, service delivery, models); and the dichotomy between education in rural areas and rural education. Part II contains papers or summaries of papers on Australian rural research, criteria for prioritizing research, education of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, education and training needs of rural women and girls, applications of communications technology in education, symbiotic relationships between rural schools and their communities, education in rural… [PDF]
(1999). American Indian Science Education: The Second Step. American Indian Culture and Research Journal, v23 n4 p91-114. Examines differences in theoretical assumptions between mainstream science classrooms and American Indian traditional thought systems. Provides examples of culturally relevant science programs that overlook these differences, resulting in damage to traditional knowledge. Calls for culturally relevant programming that recognizes the legitimacy of American Indian models of inquiry into the natural world. Contains references. (LP)…
(1996). Aboriginal Language Maintenance, Development, and Enhancement: A Review of Literature. This paper offers a general review of literature relating to the maintenance, development, and enhancement of Aboriginal languages in North America, particularly Canada. Drawing primarily on sociolinguistics, several concepts about language usage and change are outlined that are useful for the purposes of thinking about language maintenance. Next, the current status of Aboriginal languages in Canada is considered through census figures and other broad data, national surveys of factors that influence language change and maintenance, scales of language vitality, and comparisons with recent immigrant language groups in North America. Finally, sources are examined that outline strategies for Aboriginal language maintenance. These include sources covering language values and support for endangered languages, general guidance on language retention and renewal, general policies and program provisions in schools, descriptions of specific bilingual and native language programs, teachers and… [PDF]
(1999). The Native American Learner and Bicultural Science Education. Explanations of natural phenomena within a traditional Native American context are often at odds with Western scientific philosophy and what is taught in school science. Herein lies a very real conflict between two distinctly different worldviews: the mutualistic/holistic-oriented worldview of Native American cultures and the rationalistic/dualistic worldview of Western science that divides, analyzes, and objectifies. General tendencies in Native learning styles include a predominantly nonverbal orientation; tendency toward visual, spatial, and kinesthetic modes of learning; heavy reliance on visual perception and memory; preference for movement and activity while learning; and preference for process learning that moves from concrete examples to abstractions. In the typical school environment, free movement is significantly restricted and indirect intellectual learning, which emphasizes verbal, mathematical, and logical orientations, is the norm. The disparity between home and… [PDF]
(2001). Elementary Education in Rural India: A Grassroots View. Strategies for Human Development in India, Volume 2. There are wide variations in educational attainment and literacy rates across the regions and social classes of India. A national project examined participation in and the quality of elementary education in nine states of India, focusing on rural areas and the situation of disadvantaged persons, especially girls and the scheduled castes and tribes. Data from the census and national surveys were complemented by household surveys conducted in 95 villages chosen to highlight contrasts in features of interest. The surveys covered family structure and socioeconomic characteristics, attitudes toward education for boys and girls, reasons for non-enrollment and dropout, household educational expenditures, proximity to and condition of school facilities, teacher characteristics, and state educational expenditures. The 10 chapters are: (1) "Introduction" (A. Vaidyanathan, P. R. Gopinathan Nair); (2) "Access to Primary Education: Rural Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh"…
(1997). Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chance in Our Education System?. The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) conducted a trend analysis of students from four designated groups–Aboriginal, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and women in predominantly male occupations. These students were compared to the overall student population on four success measures: access to educational opportunities; success rates in education as measured by completion/graduation rates; success rates in obtaining employment in the chosen field of study; and wage/salary ranges for the employed graduates. The study used data from these sources: annual Education Equity Monitoring Report that documents changes from year to year in terms of applications, enrollments, graduation, and leaver statistics for the four groups and annual Graduate Employment Survey from which the graduates of the four groups are extracted and their employment rates compared with overall graduates. Findings indicated the following: an increase in participation of… [PDF]
(1994). Caknernarqutet Things That Struggle Me. Peabody Journal of Education, v69 n2 p6-11 Win. A personal narrative documents the struggle of an Alaska native teacher through her years in school and in the teaching profession. The article discusses the difficulties students face when they are native Yup'ik speakers but are taught in English; demonstrates how recent bilingual and Yup'ik programs have increased students' success rates. (SM)…
(2000). The Role of Elders in Child and Youth Care Education. Canadian Journal of Native Education, v24 n2 p82-91. Some postsecondary programs in child and youth care for First Nations students in British Columbia are offered locally and employ elders as teachers because they understand their cultures and communities. The strengths found in the traditions of respect and intergenerational transmission of knowledge through elders are empowering to Native students and relevant to the field of child and youth care. (TD)…
(2000). Reconciling Epistemological Orientations: Toward a Wholistic Nishaabe (Ojibwe/Odawa/Potowatomi) Education. Canadian Journal of Native Education, v24 n2 p113-19. Native identity as conceived by Native people is not incorporated meaningfully into Ontario's rational, standardized curriculum. The omission of Native languages and understandings perpetuates the erroneous colonial notion of Native inferiority. First Nations education as sui generis should affirm the Native way of life through the use of Native story, land, identity, and language. (Contains 19 references.) (TD)…
(2000). Backing into the Future: Motatau Bilingual School. Canadian Journal of Native Education, v24 n1 p14-29. Describes the struggles and triumphs of a Maori community in the Bay of Islands (New Zealand) as it took local control of its rural school and made it fully bilingual. A series of government reforms have made the Maori people responsible for administering the school with insufficient funds while the government maintains power over the curriculum and policies. (TD)…
(1995). Nomads of the Wind. Nature. Teacher's Guide. This curriculum guide was developed for use with public television's Nature series. The materials in the guide are designed to help students actively participate in the study and experience of nature. Students are encouraged to view the programs as naturalists would, observing animals in their environment, noting their behavior, examining the factors that affect their condition, and drawing conclusions. Each lesson in the Teacher's Resource Guide includes: (1) a "Program Overview" that presents background information and brief synopses of the program to be viewed; (2) "Objectives" that provide the teacher with measurement goals; (3) "Before Viewing Activity" that familiarizes students with the subject and allows them to set purposes for viewing; (4) "Vocabulary" that features definitions of unfamiliar words used in each program; (5) "After Viewing the Program" that provides discussion questions to help students assess the main points… [PDF]