Problem
According to Statistics Canada in 2016, only 70% of Indigenous youth aged 20 to 24 completed high school compared to 91% of non-Indigenous youth.
Since 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic, all students have had to adapt to new learning situations. This includes Indigenous students. Teachers have been using more online resources to support student learning. The number of resources online has been increasing accordingly.
Unfortunately, even though the overall number of online resources is increasing, the number of resources focused on Indigenous learners is not seeing the same increase.
Through my experience, I have seen few students enter science fields after high school.
As well, traditional land-based learning is not always possible for all students.
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released Calls to Action, which includes a section on Education in Canada. Section 10 iii) calls for development of culturally appropriate curriculum. This has not been evident in online resources.
We need to provide resources to help these students succeed...