Forget the stats. Have a lightbulb instead.

When it comes to the shortfalls of the current First Nations education system in Canada, the mainstream media loves to quote stats and make comparisons: i.e. “Graduation rates for Aboriginal students in Canada are substantially lower than for the Grade 12 student population as a whole.” etc. etc.

Then, the other day, I came to a realization, call it a light-bulb-finally-turning-on moment. Being constantly told how much less Aboriginal students are accomplishing made me actually believe that, as a whole, they don’t really want to succeed academically. (How could I have thought that and not realized that I thought that??!). By always being told the negative, I had been subconsciously conditioned to believe that Aboriginal students don’t really care deeply about their education.

And then I visited Southeast Collegiate.

Southeast Collegiate students taking virtual high school math

I’m writing a story on virtual high school classrooms for my work’s upcoming newsletter, and got to meet and chat with some grade 9 and grade 11 First Nations students who are taking online courses. And boy, do these kids work hard! One was taking Pre-calculus (something that I wouldn’t have a hope in heck of completing) and the others were doing grade 9 math. Let me tell you, it takes a LOT of dedication to complete an online course. You have to sit in front of a computer for an hour and a half a day, listen to a lesson, stay focused, committed, ignore distractions…I know some adults who would not even be able do it. But these kids do. Because they care. And they all had goals they wanted to achieve after high school, academic and career plans that they knew needed the credits from these courses.

So never let it be said that Aboriginal students don’t care about their education. They do! Sadly, we just don’t hear enough about it, and don’t do enough to change the system that they are unwittingly a part of. But at least I can change my ignorance. I guess that's something.