FIRST NATIONS POST SECONDARY EDUCATION

1
FIRST NATIONS POST SECONDARY EDUCATION
Aboriginal Health Human Resources
Initiative/ Access Programs Gathering May 13,
2008 Winnipeg MB
2
AFN EDUCATION VISION

• First Nations learners will achieve their full
  potential supported by a comprehensive system
  under First Nation jurisdiction that addresses
  their intellectual, spiritual, emotional and
  physical needs through quality lifelong learning,
  grounded in First Nations languages, cultures,
  traditions, values and worldviews.

3
POST SECONDARY EDUCATION

• It is the position of the Assembly of First
  Nations that Post-Secondary Education is a Treaty
  and Inherent Right of First Nations
• Indigenous peoples have the right to establish
  and control their educational systems and
  institutions providing education in their own
  languages, in a manner appropriate to their
  cultural methods of teaching and learning
• (Article 15 United Nations
  Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)

4
AFN EDUCATION SECRETARIAT MANDATE

• To consult, inform and coordinate with First
  Nations in all regions on education issues and
  assist First Nations by lobbying governments on
  their behalf through policy development and
  analysis
• To advance the development of quality First
  Nations education systems through projects and
  initiatives inclusive of the following early
  years, elementary/secondary education, special
  education, post-secondary education,
  jurisdiction, funding, accountability, languages
  and cultures and
• To increase educational attainment and
  opportunities for First Nations students and
  youth.

5
ROLES RESPONSIBILITIES of the AFN EDUCATION
SECRETARIAT to

• Chiefs Committee on Education (CCOE)
• Work with the AFN National Indian Education
  Council (NIEC), First Nations education
  technicians to advocate, support and assist First
  Nations in the development or maintenance of
  regional and community education strategies
• Analyze, develop recommendations and options for
  the CCOE, AFN Executive Committee Education
  Portfolio holder and AFN Executive Committee
• Provide briefings to the National Chief, AFN
  Executive Committee and CCOE members on education
  issues
• Maintain contact with INAC, other federal
  departments, provincial ministries, attend
  regional, national international forums
• Maintain contact with other national Aboriginal
  education associations, networks, and provide
  advice assistance.

6
EDUCATION CHALLENGES

• INACs Position
• Funding to First Nations is more than adequate
• AFN requests for their reports, documents go
  unanswered
• Data collected at national level not analyzed
  no feedback
• No action to INAC statements to resume some Joint
  Working Groups and Regional Dialogues
• INAC blames First Nations for a lack of
  accountability
• Yet, First Nations are demanding reciprocal
  accountability
• Provinces federal government would be
  accountable to First Nations and vice versa

7
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT HIGH
SCHOOL COMPLETION

• Just over one third (35) of Aboriginal youth
  have completed high school compared with 58 of
  non-Aboriginal youth.
• The proportions are particularly low, below 30,
  in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the North.
• The proportion is above the national average in
  Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and B.C.
• Except in the North, First Nation youth are less
  likely than other Aboriginal youth to have
  completed high school.

8
POVERTY RATES (OFF RESERVE)

• The percentage of persons who live below the Low
  Income Cutoff is not calculated for the
  on-Reserve population or for the North.
• Off Reserve, the Aboriginal youth population was,
  in 2000, almost twice as likely as the
  non-Aboriginal youth population to live in a
  household with an income below the Low Income
  Cutoff - 19 compared with 37.
• The difference is less pronounced in Quebec and
  Ontario and more pronounced in Manitoba and
  Saskatchewan.

9
PSE - CHALLENGES

• INACs Position
• The PSE Program is funded as a matter of social
  policy by the Canadian government. The program
  has evolved over time as a result of government
  policy and is operated under the broad
  authorities provided through the Department of
  Indian Affairs and Northern Development Act.
  (www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ps/edu/ense_e.html)
• INAC wanting to request an 18 month extension of
  the Education Authority Renewals for Post
  Secondary Education
• INAC waiting for HRSDC to complete their Student
  Financial Assistance reviews

10
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
POST-SECONDARY GRADUATES

• Compared with the national average of 40, less
  than 20 of Aboriginal youth and 17 of First
  Nations youth have a completed post-secondary
  education.
• The proportions are well below the national
  average in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the North.
• The proportion is well above the national average
  in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and Quebec.

11
PSE CHALLENGES

• Since 1996-97 a 2 cap has seriously reduced PSE
  funding
• Since 1996, the number of First Nations in
  Post-Secondary education, despite growing
  demographics, has fallen by 9
• From 2001-2006 a total of 10,589, otherwise
  eligible PSE FN students have been denied access
• This year alone, 2007-2008, 2,858 eligible
  students will not go on to PSE because of funding
  reductions

12
PSE CHALLENGES - 1993/94 2002/03

• TUITION increased 98.9
• CANADA STUDENT LOANS increased 45.1
• FIRST NATIONS PSE FUNDING increased
• 23.3

13
EFFECTS OF INACS POSITIONS

• GOOD GOVERNANCE DENIED TO FIRST NATIONS
• Insufficient consultation, accountability
  transparency
• INAC lead - Lack of coherent educational strategy
• Refusal to consult First Nations education
  experts
• Apparent preference for off-loading to provinces
• RESULT
• Quality of Education suffers
• INAC makes decisions for First Nations, First
  Nations children pay the price.

14
COST OF LOST OPPORTUNITIES

• Access denied to over 2 500 students per year for
  post-secondary education
• Welfare is 20 times more expensive than a
  university education
• Poverty rates increase for lack of access to
  education
• It costs 150 000.00 200 000.00 per year to
  incarcerate a First Nations female
• 80 of inmates are functionally illiterate
• Saskatchewan incarcerates more youth than any
  other province in Canada

15
PROJECTED EXPENDITURES OF
THE PSSSP PROGRAM
16
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

• 2001-2006 10,588 students denied PSSSP
• 2007-2008 2,858 more denied
• Funding Required PSSSP
• 2007-2008 490 M
• 2008-2009 724 M (clear backlog)
• 2012 652 M
• 2017 893M
• Additional Funding Required 07-08 ISSP
• 74 M
• 110M for FN Post-Secondary Institutions

17
Post Secondary Student Support Program
(PSSSP)

• Successful Program
• Approximately 4000 graduates every year
• Approximately 22 303 students funded every year
• Approximately 10 000 students have found
  alternative methods to finance their
  post-secondary education
• The best program to tackle poverty!

18
WHY A POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION?
19
ADDITIONAL AFN PSE INITIATIVES

• Post-Secondary Position Paper
• A viable alternative to INAC positions
• Data Management
• Reciprocal Accountability
• Research
• Working with Universities and Colleges
• Partnerships (CCL, AUCC, ACCC, CSBA)
• Corporate Challenge
• Lobby of Federal Government
• Providing review commentary on various draft
  papers for Canadian Council on Learning,
  universities of Western Canada, etc.
• National Day of Action May 29, 2008
• Website www.afneducation.ca/
• For CCOE/NIEC members for general public access

20
FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

• The Canadian citizens with the highest birth rate
  are First Nations
• Canadian average is 1.57 births per woman,
  compared to 2.60 births per First Nations woman
• This is also Canadas youngest demographic
• 54 of First Nations citizens are under 30
• First Nations also have Canadas highest
  unemployment rate
• Over twice the Canadian average

21
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Canada needs an integrated and comprehensive
  national strategy to improve First Nations
  education, training and skills development
• Skills development must be based on strong
  education fundamentals
• Aboriginal Human Resource Development Strategy
  expires in 2009
• good time for review and improvement before
  renewal or to identify new strategies that might
  replace it
• Federal, Provincial and First Nations governments
  can work together to the benefit of all concerned
• Focus on the areas of greatest labour need in the
  economy
• Focus on the mutually beneficial area of resource
  development occupations as mentioned in Speech
  from the Throne

22
CONCLUSION

• First Nation's program Drastically Underfunded
• INAC position, policy and guidelines Outdated,
  Unaccountable and Unmanageable
• PSE program Very Successful
• A way out of Poverty!
• First Nations Institutes are the bridge between
  poverty and a skilled labor force
• Corporate Canada needs a skilled Labor Force
• First Nations require accurate Data and
  Performance Measurements
• First Nations demand Action!

23
While we try to teach our children all about
life, our children teach us what life is all
about.Niawen