Peer reviewed
ERIC Number: ED030879
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1969-Jun
Pages: 6
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Language: The Great Barrier.
McKenzie, Keith S.
The English Quarterly, v2 n2 p37-42 Jun 1969
The author comments on the lack of sufficient interest in the education of Indians and Eskimos in Canada. Although he feels that the process of the acculturation of the Indian into white society is "ongoing, irreversible, and destined to continue no matter what anyone desires," it is "neither the task nor the prerogative of the dominant society to force its value systems upon the minority groups." The minority groups should be able to function affectively within the context of the larger society without being forced to abandon their own cultural identity. According to the Department of Indian Affairs of Canada, almost 60 percent of the Indian children entering schools in Canada lack fluency in English. The remaining 40 percent are generally below the white school beginners. The Indian children have a higher medial age in every grade, a clustering of pupils in the lower grades, and a "marked thinning out" in the higher grades. Educators seem to agree that lack of competency in English is the main problem. From programs underway in the United States, two significant and relevant facts emerge: (1) it has been established that Indian children will benefit from pre-school language instruction; and (2) an aural-oral linguistic program presented in a sequential fashion from kindergarten to Grade 6 can provide competence in English necessary for greater academic success. (AMM)
Descriptors: Acculturation, American Indian Culture, American Indians, Biculturalism, Bilingual Education, Culture Conflict, Disadvantaged Youth, English (Second Language), Language Handicaps, National Programs, Program Evaluation
Canadian Council of Teachers of English, Miss Jennie Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer, 441 Covert St., Oromocto, New Brunswick, Canada ($2.00 single copy, $5.00 annual membership includes subscription).
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Identifiers - Location: Canada
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