We call on the federal government to draft new Aboriginal education legislation with the full participation and informed consent of Aboriginal peoples. The new legislation would include a commitment to sufficient funding and would incorporate the following principles:
- Providing sufficient funding to close identified educational achievement gaps within one generation
- Improving education attainment levels and success rates
- Developing culturally appropriate curricula.
- Protecting the right to Aboriginal languages, including the teaching of Aboriginal languages as credit courses.
- Enabling parental and community responsibility, control, and accountability, similar to what parents enjoy in public school systems
- Enabling parents to fully participate in the education of their children.
- Respecting and honouring Treaty relationships.
Why “Stalled”?
No specific action on developing Aboriginal Education Legislation other than a $3.6M budget allocation for “community-level discussions” with First Nations. Government response still refers to “legislative options” NOT action. Other issues:
- Focus on First Nations with no details specific to Métis or Inuit
- Budget 2018 allocation of $815M over 10 years to extend funding is actually LESS then the 2017 budget: $81.5M annually vs $90M annually
- No details on improving education attainment level and success rates
- No details on developing culturally appropriate curricula
- No details on enabling parental and community responsibility….
- No details on parental involvement in their children’s education
- No details on respecting and honouring Treaty relationships
The Government of Canada has established permanent bilateral mechanisms with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders as a forum to identify joint priorities, co-develop policy and monitor progress honouring commitments to Call To Action 10.
The work of all 3 of these tables has included education as a priority area and “legislative options for education may be discussed in the future should Indigenous partners identify legislation as a priority“.
Current Status
April 1, 2023
Stalled
Previous Status
March 1, 2023
Stalled
Latest Updates
Site last updated on July 14, 2022
First Nations Control of Education
22 First Nations communities in Quebec and the Government of Canada sign historic $1.1 billion education agreement
Indigenous Services Canada: Today marks a major step forward in advancing First Nations control over First Nations education for almost 5,800 students in 22 communities……
July 14, 2022
Budgets 2016 through 2021
Federal Budgets 2016-2021
The following highlights all Education budgets from Budget 2016 through Budget 2021 from the Government of Canada. 2016 + 2017 & 2018 Top-ups20162017201820192020TotalAddressing Immediate Funding……
April 19, 2021
Education Attainment Levels
Education Attainment Levels
The High School Graduation data is from StatsCAN: “% of First Nations, Métis and Inuit aged 25-64 by selected levels of education attainment“. The “Degree/Diploma……
October 30, 2019
Education Attainment Levels
NTI criticism of Bill 25 “An Act to Amend the Education Act”
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) regrets to announce that Bill 25 – An Act to Amend the Education Act and the Inuit Language Protection Act, which……
June 5, 2019
Education Attainment Levels
Quality Education Backgrounder: Metis Update
Current Challenge Gaps in graduation rates – about 44% of First Nations on-reserve (age 18-24) have completed high school, compared to 88% for other Canadians……
September 21, 2018
First Nations Control of Education
First Nations Control of Education
The work and progress in the area of education is guided by direction from Chiefs-in-Assembly and the long-standing goal of achieving First Nations control of First Nations……
May 15, 2018
Measuring Student Outcomes
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
C.C. Howe Institute – Collection of data on academic outcomes among Indigenous students is a necessary step towards bridging the education gap between Indigenous and……
February 13, 2018
Measuring Student Outcomes
Jan 23, 2018
Quality Education Backgrounder – Ministry of Indigenous Services Current Challenge Gaps in graduation rates – about 44% of First Nations on-reserve (age 18-24) have completed……
January 23, 2018