http://actionplan.gc.ca/en/initiative/first-nation-education-act

This post contains a link to the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan website on the First Nation Education Act.  Improving graduation rates for First Nations students is an objective the Government shares with First Nations parents, educators and leaders.

Other highlights include:

– In 2011, the Government and the Assembly of First Nations launched a National Panel, which made a number of recommendations for reforming First Nations education in its February 2012 report. (A link to this report is available in my previous post reference).

– In Economic Action Plan 2012 the Government committed to working with First Nations to have in place by September 2014 a First Nation Education Act.

– In Economic Action Plan 2012, $100 million was slated to be invested over three years for First Nations education to provide early literacy programming and other supports and services to First Nations schools and students, and to strengthen their relationships with provincial school systems.

– Also in Economic Action Plan 2012, $175 million was slated to be invested over three years to build and renovate schools on reserve, providing First Nations youth with better learning environments. This builds on investments in on-reserve school infrastructure made as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan between 2009 and 2011.

More funding is being provided to First Nations Education.  As someone who works for a First Nations education organization, my colleagues tell me this is ‘long overdue’. While funding increases are needed, there is little mention on this site about self-government First Nations regarding Education, another issue raised by my colleagues. The consensus seems to be that funding increase alone may not be enough.