About four in 10 Inuit are high school graduates: survey

A new study shows that less than half of Inuit adults between the ages of 18 and 44 hold a high school diploma. (FILE PHOTO)

Fewer than half of adult Inuit hold a high school diploma, according to new data from Statistics Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Survey released this week.

The new data shows that 42 per cent of Inuit adults between the ages of 18 and 44 are high school graduates, while a part of that same group — 15 per cent — left school at least once before obtaining their diploma.

The data is the first to be released from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, information collected to provide insight into social and economic issues among First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit adults aged 18 to 44.

In it, Inuit graduation rates were well below the 72 per cent of First Nations living off reserve and 77 per cent of Métis who reported having a high school diploma.

In comparison, 89 per cent of Canada’s non-Aboriginal population had at least a high school diploma.

Perhaps not surprisingly, those who reported completing high school said they participated in more extra-curricular activities outside of school and read more books than those who dropped out.

Higher percentages of graduates reported having many close friends who valued an education. Those who completed high school were also more likely than drop-outs to report they received support from school staff during their last year in school.

On the other hand, drop-outs reported leaving school to deal with money problems, pregnancy or childcare issues or due to a general lack of interest.

Graduates were more likely to be employed, and tend to earn between $10,000 to $20,000 more in a year than those who didn’t complete high school.

But of those Inuit who never completed high school, 16 per cent went on to complete some form of post-secondary education, like a college diploma or a trades certificate.

And as of 2012, 55 per cent of Inuit had plans to further their education at some point.