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MP seeks better schooling for reserves

By: Mary Agnes Welch

Posted: 02/6/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

THE provincial government should get more involved in on-reserve education because the status quo is failing aboriginal kids, says a Tory MP.

Winnipeg South MP Rod Bruinooge, who is Métis and has served as the parliamentary secretary to the Indian Affairs minister, acknowledged Ottawa isn't providing pupils on reserves with the same quality education off-reserve kids get.

"As a federal government, we haven't done a very good job relative to the provinces in delivering K to 12," he said.

Bruinooge said a new model ought to be developed by First Nations and provincial governments to boost the quality of education on reserves.

That could involve the Frontier School Division taking on the management of more schools or the creation of a new native-run school board or something in between.

Bruinooge said there could be some federal cash incentives to provinces willing to create a tripartite relationship.

First Nations education is a confusing and inequitable hodgepodge, with Ottawa funding students on reserves and the provincial government funding most students off reserve.

In Manitoba, 54 bands run their own schools using federal cash.

Another eight bands use federal funding to contract with Frontier to run schools.

Provincial education standards apply on reserves -- students must get the same number of credits and pass provincial exams to get a diploma. Teachers must be certified and the schools must follow the Manitoba curriculum.

First Nations leaders say federal operating grants for schools on reserve are about 25 per cent below what the province offers kids off reserve.

Many students have to leave the reserve for high school, graduation rates are abysmal and relatively few students make it to university or college.

Eric Robinson, Manitoba's aboriginal affairs minister, said the province is already doing much of what Bruinooge wants -- working with bands that want to turn over management of their schools to Frontier or supporting band-run schools.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 6, 2010 A13

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