Group items tagged

A new textbook produced by Nelson Education and Martin Aboriginal Educational Initiative has emerged within high-school entrepreneurship classes. Based on the Ontario Senior Business Studies Curriculum, Tara Perkins discusses in the Globe and Mail the emergence of this new workbook specifically intended for aboriginal students. The images of aboriginals on the cover stress the importance to native students that business is a subject applicable to them. This initiative highlights the beginning of a new era in education as business courses for indigenous people written by indigenous people lay the foundation for a greater involvement within the business/administrative sector. According to Statistics Canada, in 2008-2009, the average employment rate fell faster for off-reserve Aboriginal people than for non-Aboriginal people. Additionally, the gap between these two groups significantly widened as employment rates increased from 3.5% to 4.8%. These statistics highlight the importance of how practical skills need to be easily accessible to native communities in order to provide them with equal opportunity to financially succeed within Canadian economy. In correlation to the ideas of equality within education, D'ary Levesque also discusses in the Globe and Mail, the importance of aboriginal education and its potential impact on the country's economy. Although Aboriginal Canadians are one of the youngest and fastest growing populations, lower educational trends continue to preside. Levesque expands on this idea based on reports from the Ottawa-based Centre for the Study of Living Standards which estimates more than $170 billion could be added to the economy by 2026 if natives achieved the same education levels as other Canadians. Ultimately, Levesque examines the importance of corporations to lend a supporting role alongside the Federal government to assist First Nation communities in advancing their education. Refer to: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opin

Students are falling behind in Geography as the focus has been put on math and language in schools. However, it is very important for our youth to learn about the global economy and the many different cultures and relationships around the world. This particular article discusses statistics from the US, but the same generalizations can be made for Canada and its school focus.