The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1961-11-30

the Bureau of Indian Affairs
should be oriented around the
educational function. When pro-
grams of the Bureau have failed,
1t has often been because Indians
were not trained to assume the
responsibilities thrust upon them.
The Task Force recognizes that
major problem centers around
the Indians lack of formal edu-
cation. The median educational
level of Indians Is years and
older is roughly one-half that of
the general non-Indian popula-
ton. At the college level about
one-half of one per cent of the
Indian population is being en-
rolled, compared with two per
cent of the general population.
Great strides have been made in
Indian education in the past half
century, but much remains to be
done. AS the educational level of
the general population advances,
the gap between Indians and non
Indians will widen unless the
Bureau increases its efforts to
provide educational opportuni-
ties for all Sabotage children,
to improve the quality of educa-
ton through adequate and quail
fled stating, and to increase OPP
portunities for adults who have
been denied regular schooling.
With respect to the matter of
formal education, the Task Force
favors the location of schools as
close as possible to the Indian
people. While it admits the de-
STABILITY of migrating Indian
youngsters into the public school
system, ii does not believe small
children should be transported
long distances by bus, housed in
off-reservation dormitorieS, or
placed in public schools which
do not meet the standards of
those maintained by the Bureau.
| Those who testified at Task
Force Hearings were generally
agreed that too high a percent
age of Indians drop out of school,
even in the lower grades. OF
those Indians who enter college,
few are as well equipped either
in social adjustment or academic
preparation as non-IndianS OF
corresponding age. Many are es
pecially handicapped by the lang
uage problem.
In some parts of the country,
special summer sessions for In
dian students planning to enter
college have been instituted on
university campuses. The Task
Force believes the Department
should encourage these programs
and, where possible, provide a
small financial subsidy if one is
required. Furthermore, counsel
ling services for Indian students
should be improved at all levels.
In addition to problems related
to language and other social ad-
justments, Indian youngsters Of
ten leave school because of finan-
cial difficulty. The Bureau needs
more funds for scholarships, and
more of these should be fully
sustaining.
In its section on law and order.
the Task Force has referred to
the matter of placing in board
ing schools many of the Indian
youngsters who need institutions
Il care. This is an unfortunate
axpedient in the field of juvenile
affairs. Elsewhere we have offer
I'd a recommendation relating to
this problem.
Because of the heavy financial
cost involved in constructing and
m intainirlg school facilities
which will accommodate the rap
idly expanding Indian Sabotage
population, the Bureau should
give serious consideration to US
ing school facilities on a year
round basis, instead of according
o the present formula of the
i80-day school year. Some system
Of rotation by semesters, or per-
laps an accelerated program
which would permit Indian
Youngsters to complete their pri-
mary and secondary education il
ever than twelve years, would
provide fuller utilization of stru,-
lures and other facilities which
are now idle for up to three
months each year.
The added cost Of keeping
schools running for a full year
would be much less than the
cost of equivalent new buildings.
This proposal has been suggest
ed for the public schools and has
,een under study by some of
The States.
In those areas where facilities
are at present sufficient to ac-
commodate all the school age
youngsters, the Bureau should
continue its program of using
these facilities during the sum-
mer months to help Indian chill
dren make up educational de-
ficiencies and to assist them with