SCHOOLING ORGANIZATION OF ABORIGINAL CHILDREN IN CANADA

In the article the problem of aboriginal peoples’ education in Canada has been studied. Canada has one of the most advanced education systems in the world. It is multicultural country, the population of which embraces representatives of different nationalities as well as aboriginal peoples. The analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature, which highlights the distinct aspects of the research subject, has been conducted. It is cleared that education in Canada has been studied by foreign and Ukrainian scientists: T. Kuchay, J. Edwards, N. Francis, J. Reyhner have studied schooling; O. Barabash, N. Mukan, M. Leshchenko have researched lifelong learning; Yu. Shyyka, S. Shapson, V. O’Doyley, L. Olber have analyzed bilingual education, etc. C. Andersen, A. Johns, J. Cummins, Y. Hebert, D. McCaskill, H. Raham, J. Friesen, V. Friesen, J. Lambe have studied education of aboriginal peoples of Canada. The goal of the article is defined as research of schooling organization of aboriginal children in Canada. The objectives of the article are as following: to analyze the scientific and pedagogical literature devoted to the problem under research, to study the specificity of schooling organization of aboriginal children, and to define the factors which influence the aboriginal children’s progress. The specificity of schooling of aboriginal representatives has been researched and it is cleared that there are three types of schools which aboriginal children attend (federal schools under the governance of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada; band-operated schools; regular provincial public schools). According to research results there has been noted the tendency of lower indicators of aboriginal children’s progress in comparison with other population categories. There are external and internal factors which influence the level of aboriginal children’s progress. Among external factors we determine social and economic (poverty, the low level of welfare, illnesses, distance obstacles) and among internal ones – pedagogical (destructive learning environment which strengthen misunderstanding between teachers and aboriginal students, differences between learning outcomes of aboriginal and other students, inadequate handbooks which neglect polycultural aspect of learning materials; nonparticipation in school life and extracurricular activities of aboriginal students; parents’ noninterest in children’s learning). The authors determine the factors which can change the situation. Among them they strengthen the necessity to provide polycultural academic programs, organization of productive learning environment, employment of aboriginal teachers or those who are able to construct the creative learning environment, schools reorganization and restructuring, opening of alternative schools. The research results have been presented and the perspectives for further research have been defined