According to the 2016 Canadian Census, 33.65 percent of individuals who self-identified as indigenous have no high school or equivalent certificate. In comparison, this is only true for 18.3 percent of the rest of the Canadian population. Furthermore, according to 2011 National Household Survey results, 58 percent of young adults living on-reserve in Canada have not completed high school. Upon examination of these statistics, it becomes transpicuous that education in indigenous communities in Canada is a significant issue. In order to gain a better understanding of why this issue exists, one must turn their attention to its obvious roots. Colonialism accounts for many bitter, long-standing negative impacts, and an extremely pervasive one in Canada is its effects on education. These effects are largely results of the appalling national assimilation experiment known as the Residential School system. As mandated by the 1876 Indian Act, agents and later the RCMP forcibly began removing children from their homes and placing them in residential schools. Although the stated goals were to assimilate the students, the schools provided what could only be described as a rudimentary education. Instead, students were mostly taught religious indoctrination and manual labour skills. Unfortunately, most students who survived the horrid of these schools only faced difficult and lonely futures; many had been abused and could not return to their traditional lives as a result of losing cultural aspects such as their language and traditions. Additionally, they did not receive an adequate education, thus, were hindered in their ability to succeed monetarily or even socially.

Flash-forward to today, it is evident that in order to succeed in school, home support is crucial. Thus, a question arises: how is one to succeed academically when their home is made up of direct or intergenerational survivors of the residential school system? Even if the survivors did graduate, it was not with any sort of sufficient education. This means they are less able to help their children with homework assignments and maybe less supportive when it comes to encouraging their children to graduate. Furthermore, another question that arises is how is one to apply themselves in school if they have generational implants of distrust in schools, teachers and administrators? Upon considering these factors, there is clear reasoning behind the startling indigenous education statistics. Although it is impossible to change the past, it is possible to change the future. In order to help combat the pending issue, please visit this website: https://peopleforeducation.ca/report/indigenous-education-2016/.