Ontario Ministry of Education Policy and Aboriginal Learners’ Epistemologies: A Fundamental Disconnect
Abstract
The Ontario Ministry of Education has made a recent commitment to address the achievement gap between Aboriginal and non- aboriginal students with the release of various policy documents. Yet, there appears to be a disconnect between the policy principles and the standardized means of reconciling these differences in achievement, teacher education, and parental involvement. The dualities between the expressed intent presented in the policy documents and the reality of Aboriginal epistemologies imply overtones that are symptomatic of the colonial treatment of Aboriginal peoples in this province and country. There is, then, a need to rethink critical aspects of the policy, for the profound implications it has on educational policy and student achievement in this province and beyond.
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