Speaking truth to power
Vernon Wilson,
Sept 04, 2013
I first learned of the impact of Canada's residential schools program for aboriginals (known in Canada as First Nations peoples) while teaching in places like St. Paul and Grouard in Alberta. My logic classes were part literacy training, part critical thinking and part philosophy. They had to be; our failed attempts at education on Canadian reserves has left a scar across the fabric of the First Nations, and this experience showed me directly and personally what can happen when we get education wrong. Our friends south of the border should look at and learn from this same experience in order to avoid making the same mistakes, because I see this happening. Education is not (should not be) colonization. It isn't about molding the young of today into the citizens of tomorrow; thinking of it that way leads to a generation of damage and resentment. It should be about helping each of us find and follow our own path. This article is from last March, but was posted this week in Utne Reader, which is where I found it.
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