A new report dispels stereotypes about how Canadian natives learn. The report, by the Canadian Council on Learning, suggests that First Nations, Inuit and Métis have higher rates of informal learning. “By moving beyond the all-too-familiar storyline of poor academic performance, it has given us a fresh, more balanced take on who we are as learners,” said Métis National Council president Clément Chartier. One key finding of the report was that 70 per cent of First Nations adults volunteered in their communities, versus 46 per cent for non-aboriginals. Another is that 31 per cent of aboriginal children who live off-reserves participate in out-of-school social clubs or groups, compared with 21 percent of non-aboriginal children. The report, The State of Aboriginal
Learning in Canada: A Holistic Approach to Measuring Success, claims to have used a “ground-breaking” new method to measure native success.