Across the United States, education is considered as a ray of hope that provides the possibility for a better life. However, for the Native Americans, there have always been major barriers in terms of education. Native Americans carry a high rate of unemployment due to lack of quality education. The need for quality teachers in federally funded and public schools where the Native Americans are enrolled is very high The Native Americans have struggled to gain the rights of social and educational development. However, there are several barriers that hamper the education of the Native American students. Due to poverty, low wages paid to the teachers and difference in language and culture, it has been difficult to retain the teachers in schools that provide education to Native Americans .
There has always been a great success in elementary schools that enroll the Native Americans, whose culture and language is included in the curriculum. Also, the students who have shown proficiency in their native language were proficient in the English language too . The dropout rates have seen the lowest mark for students who were pursuing education in the schools that give importance to the Native American culture and language . However, the educational institutions have observed that the main obstacles for Native Americans are insufficient financial resources and lack of academic training .
There are several factors that influence the education of the Native Americans that act as a source of motivation and encouragement. Firstly, the family support in encompassing the value of education and the hope of students in giving back their tribal communities. Secondly, the support received by the Native Americans on-campus such as supportive and cooperative faculty and opportunities to participate in cultural ceremonies . Thirdly, the commitment of the institutions to provide financial support such as scholarships and internships is also a major factor. Lack of proper support in any of these fields may become an obstacle to the Native Americans to pursue education .Pre-college academic training to enable a successful transition to college also plays a major role in influencing the Native Americans.
Measures have been taken by the government to address the needs of the Native Americans through activities such as tutoring and dropout prevention. Grants have been allotted to the schools to accommodate more number of Native American teachers, students and administrators . As a part of the student retention program, a specialist is assigned to the students to deal with issues such as child care, domestic violence and depression, transportation, discrimination in the society and any other reason that may stop the Native Americans from attending the schools . Mentoring the students in terms of career planning and has helped the Native American students reach their goals.
In addition to the actions taken by the government, the educational institutions should also address the concerns of the Native Americans such as high attrition rates and meet their specific needs by implementing strategies. The institutions should also recognize the disconnection between the institutional values and the values of the students and their families . By incorporating the family within the educational experience of the Native Americans will increase the opportunity to narrow down the gaps and build trust towards educational institutions. Institutions should also transit from the old traditional approaches to new approaches in order to contribute to the success of the Native Americans.
Works Cited
Carney, Cary Michael. Native American Higher Education in the United States. Transaction Publishers, 1999.
Hale, Lorraine. Native American Education: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO, 2002.
Ngai, Phyllis. Crossing Mountains: Native American Language Education in Public Schools. Rowman Altamira, 2012.
