I had to share this blog post from the the Canadian Education Association (CEA) web site written by James Wilson. It addresses the issues of inequitable student funding for First Nations Communities. Something that people in Canada don’t realize is that First Nation communities have been dealing with the issue of less funding per student when providing education services in their communities. The article is short and to the point so I wont bother to paraphrase or summarize but the fact is that the Federal Government has yet to live up to the promise of providing First Nations children with the same quality and support for education that we expect in all public schools.
“Three simple pages say it all! That’s the length, in its entirety, of the sections in the Indian Act that govern education on reserves for First Nations. Contrast this to the over 150 pages of the provincially-controlled Public Schools Act and Education Administration Act in Manitoba. From this perspective alone, is it any wonder that the most pressing social crisis facing our nation today is the inequitable state of education between students in our First Nations communities and those in mainstream Canada?
Where the Indian Act is silent, the Public Schools Act legislates critical issues such as minimum teaching days, board governance, and teacher certification. It also holds government accountable and gives parents guaranteed rights. Even in its limited capacity, there are no such mechanisms in place for First Nations parents, thus rendering the Indian Act all but irrelevant.
Compounding this problem is a lack of adequate funding for on-reserve schools that receive between $2,000 and $3,000 LESS per student than their provincial counterparts. In some cases, schools in remote communities suffer with $9,000 less per student. The fall-out includes:
-
Higher pupil-teacher ratios;
-
Lower pay and less benefits for teachers;
-
Limited ability to keep up with curricular advances;
-
Lack of ICT advances, and;
-
Overcrowded schools.”
The entire article can be read at the link below:
http://www.cea-ace.ca/blog/james-wilson/2011/12/4/indian-act-three-simples-pages-say-it-all