Case study of aboriginal parent participation in public education by Tracy L. Friedel. [electronic resource] /

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in First Nations Education. Department of Educational Policy Studies.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Alberta, 1999.

Research has identified parental involvement as an important component of schooling. Due to urban migration, many Native students have become the responsibility of public school boards and attend 'special' programs designed to meet their cultural needs. Despite this, the academic performance of Native students remains below average, high dropout rates persist and Aboriginal parents continue to be blamed for the problems. Viewing the characteristics of the education system from a social science perspective is a relatively new way to look at low levels of involvement among Aboriginal parents. By using qualitative methods in a study involving Aboriginal parents, a number of issues become evident. First, new relationships are undermined where paternalistic attitudes prevail. Second, while resistance helps to preserve group identity, it also maintains the status quo. Aboriginal parents need community support and a new approach if they are to create meaningful social change within schools.