Discourse and Difference: An Initial Examination of Aboriginal Education Policy in Ontario

Abstract

The Ontario Ministry of Education's (OME) attention to Aboriginal education policy has aimed to, among other objectives, create capacity for teachers, principals, and school boards to address Aboriginal students' needs and learning styles in publicly-funded schools. The 2007 Ontario First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Education Policy Framework (the Framework) identified Aboriginal student achievement (including closing the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal student achievement) among the primary objectives. The priorities outlined by the OME policy initiatives are certainly well-intentioned. My research has sought to interrogate the implications of the discourse across various policies related to Aboriginal education, including the critical and interpretive perspectives that emerge in these documents (Cherubini, 2010;2012;. This note is an extension of the aforementioned policy studies and details a research-inprogress concerning the front matter of a more recent 2014 OME publication, Implementation Plan: Ontario First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Education Policy Framework (the Plan). It entails an examination of the discursive frameworks in the document that, first, situates Aboriginal students in a position of difference, and second, that imply a level of responsiveness on behalf of the OME that is subject to further consideration.To proceed with their self-declared commitment to Aboriginal education, the statement on the first page of the Plan document indicates that "the ministry continues to advance the goals [of the 2007 Framework] through meaningful collaboration" with Aboriginal partners (2014, p.3). The declaration is positioned on the top of the page and is printed in a larger font and different type-set than the rest of the print matter throughout the document. Moreover, it is graphically represented so that it dominates the overarching OME vision statement for Aboriginal students in provincial schools directly below. The statement includes the same purposeful language that is consistently employed throughout the front matter of the document. Specifically, the statement alludes to the fact that the OME "continues to advance" the objectives of the 2007 policy Framework and hence, underscores the sustainability of their commitment to these goals. The language of 'advancing' implies that previous OME policy initiatives have been successful and are deserving of further commitment. In addition, by including "the meaningful collaboration" with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit partners in the scope of 'continuing to advance' previous policy directives, the language gives the strong impression that these partners have been key stakeholders in an inclusive and accommodating process of policy creation and implementation.