Funding formula for First nations schools The instrument of a detrimental policy

Transcription

1 1 Funding formula for First nations schools The instrument of a detrimental policy The chronic under-funding of our education is a strategy aiming for the forced integration into the provincial education systems. Some statistics 2%: maximum annual increase imposed by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) on the funding of First Nations education since %: average annual increase from 1996 to 2006 which was required to take account of the First Nations demographic growth and the increase in the cost of living. 3.8%: average annual increase which the provinces and territories of Canada allocated to the funding of their education from 1996 to %: average annual increase which was required from 1996 to 2006 to take account of the population growth of the non Native population and the increase in the cost of living for the provinces and territories of Canada. $1.54 billion: cumulative shortfall, between 1996 and 2008, for the First Nations of Canada due to the 2% cap. Situation 1988: elaboration by INAC of the funding formula for First Nations schools. The formula was scheduled for revision after a period of two years to ensure a better rationale. 20 years later: the formula still has not been modified to take account of the developments in education. It does not, among other things, allocate amounts to account for the costs associated to new technologies, sports and recreation, operating libraries and the supplementary costs for vocational training in Quebec at the secondary level. Contrarily to provincial education systems, INAC s funding formula does not consider the socioeconomic disadvantage index of the communities. 1996: the following recommendation was issued by the Sub-committee on Aboriginal Education from the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development: The Department must reassess its funding methods to better take into account the needs in First Nations education. 1

2 Funding formula for First nations schools The instrument of a detrimental policy 2000: point 4.66 of the report of the Office of the Auditor General: We also observed that current methods used to allocate funds from the Department's headquarters to its regions are based largely on information that was developed at least 15 years ago. The Department has no updated analyses to determine whether the current practice reflects actual education needs and is reasonable in the circumstances. In its response to the report of the Auditor General in 2000, INAC affirmed to be working on the funding formula in view of the renewal of the education program authorizations, scheduled in fall : Internal (INAC) report on the Evaluation of the Band-operated and Federal schools: The current funding formula is an archaic instrument for achieving public policy ends and meeting the needs of First Nations people : report on the INAC plans and priorities. The Department clearly made the commitment to renew the funding formula : In its strategic plan, the Quebec regional office of INAC set itself the objective to participate in the elaboration of new funding formulae for Band-operated schools. FNEC initiatives : participation of the FNEC in joint First Nations/INAC National and Regional Working Groups. 2005: report of the Regional Joint Working Group on the education costs for First Nations. 2006: report of the National Joint Working Group on the cost factors in First Nations education. 2007: awareness-building campaign on the funding of First Nations education. 2007: INAC terminated the funding of the National Joint Working Group. Because of the inertia shown by INAC, the FNEC set up its own team to elaborate a more just and equitable funding formula for Band-operated schools. The provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan followed suit. 2009: publication of a Paper on First Nations Education Funding. Concrete measures taken by INAC to remedy the situation No concrete measure has been taken and none is being considered by INAC to modify the funding formula for First Nations schools. On June 4, 2009, in front of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Assistant Deputy Minister Christine Cram expressed doubts whether a funding formula was the best way to fund education! 2

3 2 Vocational Training A critical need for First Nations Vocational training is a critical need for the job market accessibility of individuals and the economic development of First Nations. Some statistics 1 50 % of the population identified as Native are below 25 years of age, as compared to 31 % in the remaining Canadian population. 44 % of the population identified as Native do not possess any diploma. Situation Vocational training strives for: The acquisition of necessary skills to integrate the labour market. The economic development of the communities. The struggle against school drop-out. Quebec is the sole province in Canada which provides vocational training at the secondary level. INAC s funding formula for the elementary and secondary education program pays no heed to this particularity which prevails in Quebec and thus does not take account of considerably higher tuition fees for vocational training. In the scope of the reform in Quebec, all provincial schools have to set up a career path at the secondary level but INAC has no funding planned to take this into account. FNEC initiatives January 1998: creation of the first FNEC committee to examine the issue. Observation: the authorizations for funding programs prevent taking account of the vocational training costs in Quebec. June 2003: meeting between the FNEC Chiefs and the regional office of INAC. A joint FNEC-INAC Committee is set up for in-depth analyses. April 2005: publication of the first joint report, entitled Study on Quebec First Nations Access to Vocational Education and Technical Training Census data

4 Vocational Training A critical need for First Nations May 2006: meeting between the FNEC, the INAC regional office and INAC Headquarters for the presentation of the 2005 report. June 2006: the FNEC received a letter from the Director of Education Programs for INAC acknowledging that the elementary and secondary program does not adequately fund vocational training in the Band-operated schools of the First Nations of Quebec and indicating that they were looking forward to collaborate. October 2006: funding of MELS and INAC for a joint study by the First Nations Human Resources Development Commission of Quebec (FNHRDCQ) and the FNEC. Phase 1 of the study aimed to have a consultation on the obstacles in the access to vocational training and Phase 2 proposed solutions to these obstacles. 2007: the FNEC elaborated a file to obtain funding so that the schools of its member communities can provide a career path at the secondary level. 2008: submission of phase 1 and phase 2 reports and integration of the results of the consultation into a five-year plan of the FNEC. Concrete measures taken by INAC to remedy the situation No measure has been taken and none is being considered to modify the funding formula so as to take into account the supplementary costs for vocational training in Quebec. An amount has merely been withdrawn from the non revised budget of the regional office (reallocation of funds) so that the schools may provide a career path at the secondary level. 2

5 3 Sports and Recreation Also, while Sport Canada has committed to build capacity for sport and recreation in the broader Aboriginal population, Health Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada have not partnered in this endeavour by supporting the community health promotion or the school physical education components. 1 Some statistics The regional longitudinal study on First Nations Health conducted in 23 communities of Quebec, in 2002, revealed that: 14.5% of First Nations members were living with diabetes, as compared to 7% of the Quebecer population. 22% of First Nations teenagers were obese. Comparatively, the obesity rate among Quebecer teenagers was 9%. 2 Situation Health Canada favours the school environment to promote health. In 2005, the ministère de l Éducation du Québec became the ministère de l Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport. Excerpt from the guidelines of the INAC elementary and secondary education program: The objectives of the program are as follows to provide eligible students living on-reserve with elementary and secondary education programs comparable to those that are required in provincial schools by statutes, regulations or policies of the province in which the reserve is located. The funding formula for the First Nations schools does not take account of sports or recreational activities. For the provincial schools of Quebec, sports and recreation are integrated within the funding formula under the complementary services as mandatorily required by the curriculum. In most First Nations communities, no other programs or community infrastructure are available for sports and recreational activities. 1 1 Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, March Institut de la statistique du Québec, June 2007

6 Sports and Recreation FNEC initiatives In 2002: the FNEC report The Destiny of Education for First Nations Children Priority Intervention Areas determined that sports and recreation is a priority. In 2005: the My school: an open school for sports and recreation project obtained no funding. It aimed for: Opening schools for all community members for sports practice and recreational activities. Struggling against school drop-out by integrating appealing projects in the curriculum. In 2006: obtaining financial support for a consultation with member communities in order to evaluate the needs and determine the obstacles to the practice of sports and recreation in the communities. In 2008: the consultation report is published. In 2009: the funding formula elaborated by the FNEC for Band-operated schools integrates the funding of sports and recreation. Concrete measures taken by INAC to remedy the situation No measure has been taken and none is being considered to modify the federal funding formula. INAC simply advises First Nations to check for funding opportunities with other programs or Departments. 2

7 4 School libraries A crucial element in school success ignored by the funding formula for First Nations schools. Situation The mastery of reading skills constitutes a vital key in the school success of young people. School libraries are at the core of action plans on reading, elaborated by education systems in Canada. In Quebec, school libraries are part of the twelve complementary services as per the Education Regulations. Since 2005, Quebec has equipped itself with a reading action plan, Plan d action sur la lecture. Through this plan, schools hire librarians and renew their book collections. For First Nation schools, school libraries are essential: INAC demands that the schools meet the requirements of the Educational Regulations of Quebec. Libraries are essential to the mastery of reading skills in the language of instruction, a second language for many of the children concerned. Most of the communities do not have any service equivalent to a municipal library. The larger part of First Nations families are under-privileged and scarcely invest in books. The school is often the only place where young people have access to books. The funding formula for the community schools does not cover the operating costs of school libraries. FNEC initiatives 2002: The report entitled The Destiny of Education for First Nations Children Priority Intervention Areas identified school libraries as a priority intervention area : the FNEC participated in Regional and National Joint Working Groups on tuition fees. 1

8 School libraries 2005: the FNEC/INAC Regional Working Group published the report Analysis of Educational Costs and Tuition Fees: Pre-School, Elementary School and High School Levels. School libraries are identified as a cost factor ignored by the formula. 2006: the AFN/INAC National Working Group published the report A study of Educational Cost Drivers to First Nations Education which indicated that a school library is a cost factor in education and that the following must be considered: general norms, the remoteness of certain communities and the socioeconomic conditions of the families. 2007: the FNEC took due notice of the fact that INAC gave no indication as regards any revision of the funding formula. The FNEC took the initiative to set up its own Working Group to elaborate a more comprehensive and adequate funding formula. 2009: the FNEC insisted to make a presentation of the results of its work to INAC as regards the elaboration of a new funding formula. Concrete Measures taken by INAC to remedy the situation No concrete measure was taken and none is being considered. 23 October, 2009: INAC granted very little importance to the presentation of the work accomplished by the FNEC concerning the elaboration of a new funding formula. Kathleen Keenan, Director General of the Education Branch, said that it was more important to indicate what needed to be done in general. 2

9 5 Post-Secondary Education Post-Secondary Student Support Program: The broken dreams of thousands of candidates eligible for Post-secondary studies. Some statistics 3: number of students enrolled at Post-secondary level in 1963, successively climbing up to 3,600 in , 27,500 in and 22,303 in ,589: number of candidates eligible for post-secondary studies registered on waiting lists, due to lack of funding from 2001 to Situation 1977: creation of the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP). 1989: INAC adopted the E12 policy. The funding of the program changed from universal mode to closed envelope. 1996: INAC imposed a 2 % cap on the annual increase of the funding : these two factors combined (E12 policy and 2% cap) led to a drastic 24% fall in the number of students receiving financial support in addition to a long waiting list. 2007: the report entitled No Higher Priority: Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education in Canada of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development recommended that the 2% cap be abolished and that the support to students be based on the real costs of tuition fees and other needs of students. 2008: the government announced the revision of the program. It indicated its intention of withdrawing the management of the program from the communities and transferring it to a third party. 2009: the government made a request to the Educational Policy Institute to conduct an analysis of other options available for the management of the program. 1

10 Post-Secondary Education FNEC initiatives 2002: publication of the report entitled The Destiny of Education for First Nations Children Priority Intervention Areas. Among the priorities identified is the revision of the funding for the Post-Secondary Student Support Program, which limits the number of beneficiaries of the program. 2005: historical political agreement which was meant to be the first step towards self-determination and self-government of First Nations. Paul Martin, Prime Minister, declared The time when we elaborated policies in Ottawa prior to consultation with you (First Nations) is over. The principle of collaboration will now constitute the foundation of our new partnership. 2006: participation of the FNEC in the consultation with the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on post-secondary education. 2008: learning that the government has the intention to make important changes to the program, namely removing management from the communities for the benefit of a third party, the FNEC launched a petition to signify its opposition. For the FNEC, this tactic implies that the communities are to be held responsible for the decrease in the number of students, while all the studies clearly indicate that this decrease is due to INAC policies as regards the funding of the program. 2009: in April, the FNEC submitted its petition signed by 22,731 persons at the House of Commons : the FNEC drafted a letter to the Minister (July 6), in which a request was made to participate in the revision of the program : letter from the Minister (October 21) in response to the request of the FNEC to participate in the process suggesting that the FNEC take part in a one-hour meeting on various subjects, already scheduled with Assistant Deputy Minister Christine Cram to express its views. Concrete measures taken by INAC to remedy the situation No measure has been taken and none is being considered. The government shows no intent of taking into account the recommendations of its aforementioned parliamentary committee. The Minister demonstrated no intention to promote any real participation of First Nations in the revision of the Post-Secondary Student Support Program. 2

11 6 Second-level Services Thirty years after taking over administrative control in education, there is still no real education system for First Nations. Some statistics There are some 518 First Nations Band-operated schools in Canada. Situation Levels of services existing in public education systems: First-level services: services provided by the educational institutions. Second-level services: support services provided to the educational institutions by regional structures such as the School Boards. Third-level services: policies, laws, regulations and standards elaborated by provincial structures such as the Departments of Education. 1972: Publication of Indian Control of Indian Education by the former National Indian Brotherhood, known since 1980 as the Assembly of First Nations. 1973: Official recognition given to the aforementioned document by the government of Canada which pledged to use it as the basis of its policy with regard to First Nations education. Late 1970's: Communities start taking over control of schools. In the middle of the 1980's: Creation of regional First Nations organizations by the communities to represent their interest. To this day, INAC still does not officially recognize these organizations nor does it take their funding into account. 1996: Publication of the Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples which recommends collaborating with First Nations to promote the creation of education systems under their control and granting funds which correspond to the responsibilities taken (refer to volume 3, chapter 5, recommendation 3.5.2). 2002: Publication of the Final Report of the Minister's National Working Group on Education Our Children - Keepers of the Sacred Knowledge which recommends that the Minister begin immediately a process to create a First Nations education infrastructure that encompasses decision-making structures, administrative capacity and program design and delivery capability at two levels: First Nations communities and regional education bodies (recommendation 2). 1

12 Second-level Services 2006: Jim Prentice, previous INAC Minister made the following declaration to the Canadian press There is, in fact, no education system for the First Nations. FNEC initiatives 2002: Vast consultation leading to the draft of the report The Destiny of Education for First Nations Children Priority Intervention Areas. 2003: Participation in an INAC/First Nations Joint National Working Group on education systems and jurisdiction. October 2006: The FNEC signed, at the Mashteuiatsh Socioeconomic Forum, an agreement with INAC whereby the Minister commits to collaborate in setting up an education system following an extensive consultation. January 2008: Publication of a consultation report on the needs and the best options for the delivery of support services. November 2008: Presentation to INAC of the document Five-Year Plan for Reinforcing a First Nations Education System by Implementing Essential Services in Support of the FNEC Member Communities. Concrete measures taken by INAC to remedy the situation No concrete measure has been adopted and none is being considered! INAC s response when the five-year plan was submitted: Congratulations on your good work... which help us to understand your needs... unfortunately, we cannot follow up on it, because the only funding available is for our two new programs. 2