EDUCATION FOR FIRST NATIONS: A BILL TO PUT AN END TO UNDERFUNDING AND
DISCRIMINATION

OTTAWA, Dec. 1 /CNW Telbec/ - It was with renewed hope and great interest that representatives of the Assembly of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) and the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) welcomed the bill tabled by the Bloc Québécois regarding First Nations education funding. "After years of chronic underfunding of our education systems, despite repeated calls to action to the government, the Canadian Parliament now has an opportunity to stem a significant source of discrimination against First Nations. We welcome the initiative made by the Bloc Québécois and we hope that the other parties will support this bill," stated AFNQL Chief Ghislain Picard.

The bill introduced by MP Marc Lemay aims to force the federal government into modifying the formula currently used to fund First Nations education. This formula was enacted in 1988 and has not been indexed to the cost of living since 1996. As a result, First Nations schools have not been able to offer teaching and learning conditions that are comparable to those in the provincial education systems. Moreover, this formula has not been revised to take into account new developments and costs in education, such as managing libraries, offering vocational training, providing sports and recreational activities and staying current with technological advances.

Faced with this situation, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada expressed its commitment on several occasions over the last six years to revise this outdated funding formula, which has yet to be seen. For more than two years, the AFNQL and the FNEC have intensified their political activities and pressure tactics in order to publicly denounce the situation. It is no longer a question of proving that First Nations education is underfunded. The First Nations have participated in several studies and consultations, which all confirmed the lack of funding and the importance of investing in education. Yet the federal government, who exercises the jurisdiction over First Nations education, has always refused to increase the funding based on these studies and consultations that were meant to pave the way for a new funding formula.

"It is extremely unfortunate that people may believe that First Nations schools are asking for more funding than the amount that provincial schools are receiving. In fact, we challenge all provincial schools and ministries of education to accept to be funded by the federal government's archaic funding formula," added Raymond Sioui, Assistant Director at FNEC.

"The government has recently announced its signing of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I think that this announcement is meaningful. The government will have the opportunity to immediately demonstrate its endorsement of the Declaration by proceeding with the bill, the objective of which is to simply put an end to the chronic underfunding of First Nations schools and to support students who want to pursue postsecondary studies. To all the political parties, members of the House of Commons and Senators, I say this: education is not a partisan issue, it is a social issue," concluded Chief Picard.

For more information regarding the underfunding of First Nations education, please visit the FNEC Website at www.cepn-fnec.com.

For further information:

Éric Cardinal
Communications Consultant
450-635-5159 / Cell: 514-258-2315
[email protected]