Valcourt looks to strike local aboriginal education deals
OTTAWA — In the absence of a national system to reform First Nations education, the federal government is holding discussions with individual indigenous leaders to strike agreements for their communities.
The Conservative put its reform legislation, Bill C-33, on ice this year when it was opposed by the Assembly of First Nations.
But in an interview Friday, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said he hasn’t given up on his plan to introduce standards and better education for First Nations children.
He said he “will not let the politics of the First Nations at the national level deter us from working with the First Nations at the community level to improve education outcomes.”
Valcourt’s department has been in discussion with some First Nations about agreeing to introduce standards and receive federal funding in return.
“When I look at the reality of First Nations in the country, they are so diverse from all corners of Canada, that I think the way forward is to work locally with the communities, the willing partners who are ready to take the steps to improve the outcomes of education on reserve.
“We have tools in place where we can, I think, move forward in a positive way and achieve reform without imposing, or without having, a national solution.”
Bill C-33, which the government introduced in April, proposed to hand control of on-reserve education to First Nations while also setting standards. The federal government promised to provide $1.9 billion in new funds.
Improving education could have a “transformational” effect on First Nations, Valcourt said, and could reduce incarceration rates, suicide rates and violence against aboriginal women.
But a political firestorm erupted when Shawn Atleo, then national chief of the AFN, faced a revolt from some aboriginal leaders over his support of the plan.
In May, Atleo stepped aside, and the AFN formally opposed the bill.
This week, in Winnipeg, the AFN elected Perry Bellegarde as its new national chief. Friday, the AFN released a statement saying, “First Nations are calling for the withdrawal of the flawed federal education legislation as a show of good faith so we can engage on a new and real approach to First Nations control of First Nations education.”
Valcourt said he “can’t predict the future” of the bill, but suggested it might die on the parliamentary order paper next year before an election is called.
“We’re working with certain First Nations right now, with groups, with aggregates. It’s a matter of concluding agreements and finding ways of putting this into effect.”