12°c Partly cloudy
8°c Light rain
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
New, comprehensive education system needed for First Nations: report
Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan says he won't commit to funding or a timeline based on the panel's report until he's had time to review it. (ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES)
Related Items
OTTAWA – First Nations need structure, money and national support to save another generation of children on reserves from a life of poverty and despair, a national panel recommended today.
The three-member panel was appointed last year by Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo. The chief recommendation is to create a First Nations Education Act which recognizes the right to an education, outlines the responsibilities for everybody involved and ensures the education system is controlled by First Nations. Statutory funding which is reliable and based on the needs of individual communities, not an average amount of money per child, is also necessary.
Regional support networks, similar to but not necessarily the same as school boards, are also necessary, the panel said.
"There isn’t a First Nations education system in Canada," said panel chair Scott Haldane. "Without that support it’s very difficult for them to achieve the goals they have for young people and for young people to achieve their full potential."
Haldane said there are some examples in Canada where First Nations on their own have created school systems and those have been successful.
He was clear to say the recommendations don’t really work if the government cherry-picks from among them.
Duncan would not commit to implementing any of the recommendations, nor would he commit any dollars to improving First Nations education. He received the report this morning, just prior to its being made public. He said he needed more time to go through it.
He did suggest the three-month timeline for an implementation commission was not going to happen. Duncan said the timelines in the report are "aspirational."
The panel wants an interim commission set up to begin implementing the recommendations within three months.
As a stopgap measure financially, they recommended Ottawa increase funding for education on reserves by the same amount provincial governments are increasing funding to public schools in 2012-13. In Manitoba that won’t amount to much extra money as Ottawa capped funding increases for First Nations at two per cent annually more than a decade ago. The provincial government recently announced a 2.2 per cent increase in funding for public schools.
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
Poll
Proudly brought to you by:
Most Popular Local
- Thieves strip $20K worth of copper wiring from gravel pit
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- Pukatawagan RCMP looking for two dangerous suspects
- WWE's Jericho breaks code in Brazil
- Ex-Bomber sued for $4.8M
- Gang members get lengthy sentences for jailhouse beating
- Ex-Hydro boss slams closure
- Man hit before fatal blow, friend testifies
- Blue boxes to garden boxes?
- Every year 4,000 children reported missing in Manitoba
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Cyclist killed in collision on Higgins identified
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- A SHED is not enough
- Football star's fatal punch probed at manslaughter trail
- Cyclist killed in Higgins Avenue crash
- Sex-scandal inquiry to be heard in city
- Winnipeg man recovering after campground bear attack
- Man hit before fatal blow, friend testifies
- Female cyclist dies on Higgins after falling into semi's path
- Boozy night out, lying cost city man big bucks
- Neighbours shaken by two deaths
- Rapid buses rattling homes
- Severe storm warning issued
- Teen hit by vehicle on Pembina
- Has Gimli gone to pot?
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Cyclist killed in collision on Higgins identified
- Triple whammy hits homes
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- Ex-Hydro boss slams closure
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- Ex-Bomber sued for $4.8M
- At 100, she's still winning friends and winning at bridge
- His life made our world a better place
- Band, council defy feds on aid
- Hydro headquarters named Canada's greenest office tower
- Teachers split on issue of human sexuality
- Diplomat saved thousands from Hitler
- Cummings steps out of reunion for sick mom
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Pooch paradise, where champion beagles run free
- His life made our world a better place
- Winnipeg man recovering after campground bear attack
- He was enjoying view, bear came out of blue
- Scientists lash Harper government for pulling plug on Experimental Lakes Area
- Diplomat saved thousands from Hitler
- Weeding out the chemicals
- U of W rejects copyright deal as 'money grab'
- Chemicals not par for the course
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Has Gimli gone to pot?
- Pooch paradise, where champion beagles run free
- His life made our world a better place
- Scientists lash Harper government for pulling plug on Experimental Lakes Area
- RRC's old gem a beauty
- Attack on hockey ref nets jail time
- Our Village is as good as it gets
- Judge faces second complaint
- Winnipeg man recovering after campground bear attack
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.