THE IMPORTANCE OF HOME ENVIRONMENT AND PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN‐ CANADIAN YOUTH

This article focuses on the educational experiences of African ‐ Canadian youth. Traditionally, researchers have tended to emphasize the poor academic performance of Black students, or issues and problems related to their academic failure, or to stereotype them as loud, lazy, criminal, athletic, deprived, dangerous, and deviant. In contrast, this article looks at Black students in Alberta who have achieved academic success in spite of considerable adversity. The data presented here show that factors such as the home environment and parental encouragement contribute to academic success. Key words: Black students, school success, family status, Alberta education Cet article porte sur les experiences scolaires de jeunes Africano ‐ Canadiens. D’habitude, les chercheurs ont tendance a souligner le pietre rendement scolaire des eleves noirs ou les problemes relies a leur echec scolaire ou encore a les presenter de facon stereotypee comme des personnes bruyantes, paresseuses, portees a commettre des crimes, athletiques, demunies, dangereuses ou ayant un comportement deviant. Cet article decrit plutot des eleves noirs albertains qui reussissent bien leurs etudes en depit de conditions tres difficiles. Les donnees presentees indiquent que les facteurs comme le milieu familial et les encouragements des parents contribuent au succes scolaire. Mots cles : eleves noirs, succes scolaire, milieu familial, education en Alberta