Question Period Note: Education

N/A

• All First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and youth deserve quality education to reach their full potential and participate in the Canadian labour market.
• This is why Indigenous Services Canada (ISC):
o co-developed a funding approach for First Nations elementary and secondary students on reserve to ensure, at a minimum, provincially-comparable education;
o continue to invest in education infrastructure to ensure First Nations students have safe places to learn and grow;
o co-developed distinctions-based Indigenous post-secondary education strategies to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation post-secondary students and enable these students to participate in the economy and drive economic growth.

In 2019, ISC launched a co-developed funding approach aimed at fundamentally improving the way the Department funds First Nations elementary and secondary education while supporting regional and local diversity and implementing the principle of First Nations control of First Nations education. This includes supporting formula-based regional funding for elementary and secondary education to ensure that students attending First Nations schools are supported by predictable funding that is more directly comparable to what students enrolled in provincial education systems receive. On top of this base funding, ISC provides funding for expanded language and cultural programming, full-day kindergarten, before-and-after school programming, school food, and regional education agreements that advance First Nations’ self-determination over their education systems. To date, 11 regional education agreements have been signed with First Nations partners, nine remain active and collectively support over 25,000 students from 191 First Nations across five provinces.

With Budget 2019’s total investment of $814.9 million over 10 years and $61.8 million ongoing, ISC launched distinctions-based Indigenous post-secondary education strategies. These investments were used to expand financial assistance for First Nations students through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program, support the development of regional post-secondary education models, as well as establish respective Inuit and Métis Nation post-secondary education strategies, which can support both post-secondary institutions and community partnerships. At present, the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) is the largest First Nations controlled institution and is the only Indigenous institution to receive core funding.

Six Nations Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Elementary and Secondary School

Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Elementary and Secondary School is a band-operated Gayogohono (Cayuga) and Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) language immersion school located on reserve, on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. To date, ISC has provided over $223,000 to support the First Nation in completing planning and updated design work to ensure readiness for new school construction.

To ensure funding is allocated to the highest priority education infrastructure projects, ISC uses a school priority ranking framework. ISC will continue to work with Six Nations of the Grand River to ensure that the Kawenni:io/ Gaweni:yo school is represented accurately within our framework.

If pressed on investments in elementary and secondary education (including regional education agreements and infrastructure)
• Since 2015, Canada has invested over $4.8 billion for elementary and secondary education, including regional education agreements, to help First Nations children living on reserve receive high-quality education.
• As of December 31, 2024, in addition to core annual funding, ISC has invested $2.22 billion to support over 300 school infrastructure and supporting projects, which will result in the construction or renovation of 234 schools that will benefit approximately 39,000 students.

If pressed on investments in post-secondary education
• Since 2015, Canada has invested over $1.2 billion in Indigenous post-secondary education in order to:
o expand financial assistance for First Nations students, and support First Nations-led engagement on the development of regional post-secondary education models;
o support the Inuit and Métis Nation post-secondary education strategies, including funding for students, complementary programs and services, and regional institutional and governance capacity to support service delivery.

If pressed on Six Nations school infrastructure
• To support the education needs of students on reserve, ISC funds First Nation education programming and infrastructure, including support for the planning and design phase of the Kawenn:io/Gaweni:yo school.
• ISC understands the importance of the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo school in preservation and revitalization of the Cayuga and Mohawk languages and culture for current and future generations.
• ISC is committed to working with the First Nation to identify education pathways that will support the unique cultural learning needs of the community.