Question Period Note: Education

• All Indigenous children and youth deserve support that enables
them to reach their full potential.
• This is why we:
o co-developed a policy framework to transform the way
First Nations elementary and secondary education on
reserve is funded;
o are supporting First Nations adult education to help close
the education attainment gap; and,
o co-developed distinctions-based Indigenous postsecondary
education strategies to support First Nations,
Inuit and Métis Nation students.
• We are collaborating with Indigenous partners to help ensure
that students have access to a high quality education that
responds to their needs.

Elementary and Secondary Education
Budget 2016 invested $2.6 billion for elementary and secondary education
programming for First Nations on reserve, including significant additional investments in
language and cultural programming, literacy and numeracy, and special education. With
these investments, the Department also worked with First Nations to fundamentally
transform funding for elementary and secondary education on reserve. The
co-developed policy proposal to strengthen and transform First Nations elementary and
secondary education was endorsed by Chiefs-in Assembly in December 2017 and was
used to establish a new policy framework that was ratified by Cabinet in 2018.
Launched on April 1, 2019, this new framework is aimed at fundamentally improving the
way Indigenous Services Canada 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, the Department provides additional funding for expanded
language and cultural programming, full-day kindergarten, before-and-after school
programming, and other initiatives that respond to the unique needs of First Nations
students, as well as regional education agreements that advance First Nations’ selfdetermination
over their education systems.
In addition, Budget 2021 invested $726 million over five years and $188 million ongoing
to support work with partners to adapt elementary and secondary education funding to
meet First Nations’ unique needs. This investment provides supports to adapt education
funding formulas in critical areas such as student transportation, to ensure funding for
First Nations schools remains predictable year-over- year, as well as to develop and
conclude Regional Education Agreements. Budget 2021 also invested $350 million over
five years to support adult education on reserve, which will assist in closing the
education attainment gap. As part of the Canada-wide early learning and child care
program, Budget 2021 invested $515 million over five years and $112 million ongoing
for before- and after-school programming on reserve. Increasing access to on-reserve
before- and after-school programming is expected to support parents and primary
caregivers in balancing work and family, and could also reduce barriers by providing
more opportunities for young parents to attend school or enter and remain in the
workforce.
Regional education agreements support the creation of First Nations schools systems
that respond to the education goals and priorities set by First Nations. These
agreements identify collaborative education service delivery strategies, and outline how
the Government of Canada can best support First Nations schools, students,
communities, and education organizations to ensure that First Nations students receive
a high quality, linguistically and culturally appropriate education that improves student
outcomes.
Budget 2022, announced an investment of $310.6 million to support better student
outcomes through a regional education agreement with the First Nations Education
Council, which includes 22 member communities in Quebec. This agreement
demonstrates Canada’s active partnership with those First Nations in implementing their
vision for education to improve student outcomes.
In recognition of the challenges facing First Nations as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, on August 26, 2020, the Prime Minister announced $112 million to support a
safe return to First Nations elementary and secondary schools on reserve. This is in
addition to the $2 billion that was provided to provinces and territories through the Safe
Return to Class Fund. Of this, $100 million was provided to First Nations to directly
support the needs of students and education staff, including salaries for staff, access to
technology, purchase of e-learning software, and the development of take-home
learning materials. The remaining $12 million supported schools to undertake retrofits
needed to follow public health guidelines and respect adequate physical distancing as
school activities resumed. This investment enabled First Nations the flexibility to
respond to operational and student needs. Budget 2021 also provided an additional
$112 million in 2021-2022 to extend this support for a safe return to elementary and
secondary schools for First Nations on reserves.
Post-Secondary Education
Budget 2017 announced a comprehensive and collaborative review with Indigenous
partners of all current federal programs that support Indigenous students who wish to
pursue post-secondary education. Between 2017 and 2018, Indigenous Services
Canada held a series of discussions with Indigenous students, academic leaders and
institutions to obtain a wide range of reflections on the Government of Canada’s current
post-secondary education programming for Indigenous students, and to discuss
possible improvements. The department also engaged with the Assembly of First
Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Métis National Council on potential postsecondary
education reforms. As part of this process, these three National Indigenous
Organizations each developed distinctions-based policy proposals for transforming
Indigenous post-secondary education.
Stakeholder feedback from the review and the National Indigenous Organizations’
policy proposals informed Budget 2019’s total investment of $814.9 million over 10
years and $61.8 million ongoing to support distinctions-based Indigenous postsecondary
education strategies. For First Nations, this includes $320 million over 5
years to renew and expand funding for the Post-Secondary Student Support Program,
and $7.5 million over 3 years to support First Nations-led engagement that will inform
the development of First Nations regional post-secondary education models.
In addition, Budget 2019 allocated $125.5 million over 10 years and $21.8 million
ongoing for a new Inuit Post-Secondary Education Strategy, and $362 million over 10
years and $40 million ongoing for a new Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education
Strategy. These strategies include direct funding assistance for students (including
tuition, supplies and accommodation), complementary programs and services, and
institutional and governance capacity to support service delivery.
On April 22, 2020, the Prime Minister announced a comprehensive support strategy for
post-secondary students and recent graduates during the pandemic, which included a
one-time increase of $75.2 million in 2020-21 for Indigenous post-secondary students.
In addition to the existing distinctions-based support for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
Nation students, this investment helped mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous
PSE students to ensure they could continue to pursue and maintain their studies.
On October 30, the Prime Minister announced $25.9 million to provide immediate
support to Indigenous post-secondary institutions in 2020-21. The investment helped
these institutions address increased costs and financial uncertainty resulting from the
pandemic, including providing supports to retain staff, automating services to process
student applications and registrations, adapting courses for online learning, and
implementing public health and safety measures for in-person services.
To address the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous postsecondary
education, Budget 2021 invested $150.6 million over two years, starting in
2021-22, in distinctions-based support for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students
pursuing post-secondary education, as well as $26.4 million in 2021-22 to support
Indigenous post-secondary institutions and community-based programming.

If pressed on Elementary and Secondary Education:
• ISC co-developed a policy framework to transform the way First
Nations elementary and secondary education on reserve is
funded. ISC provides, at a minimum, funding that is comparable
to what students receive in provincial schools, plus additional
funding in key areas such as language and culture, full-day
kindergarten for children aged 4 and 5, and before- and afterschool
programming.
• Through this approach, funding for elementary and secondary
education has grown by 80% between 2015-16 and 2022-23.
• Since 2015, the Government has invested over $5.9 billion for
elementary and secondary education and schools to help First
Nations children living on reserve receive high-quality
education.

If pressed on Graduation Rates:
• According to Census data, the gap between the First Nations
(18-24) population living on reserve and non-Indigenous
Canadians education attainment has narrowed from 44.5% in
2016 to 37% in 2021.
• In 2022-23, ISC implemented a new cohort-based graduation rate
methodology aligned with Statistics Canada’s Pan-Canadian
methodology and informed by feedback from First Nations.
National results will be reported in the 2022-23 Departmental
Result Report.
• When looking at graduation rates for First Nations students,
assessing timelines beyond the standard trajectory for
secondary school graduation provides a more accurate
landscape to better understand the progression of education
attainment. Results of increased investments in education are
also more evident over the long term.

If pressed on Annual Increases to Funding:
• The co-developed funding approach for First Nations elementary
and secondary education provides provincially comparable
funding for students residing on-reserve, with adaptations for
unique needs, plus national enhancements.
• The education funding formulas are updated annually to account
for a variety of factors, including student population changes
and provincial funding rate changes.
• The formulas are refined in collaboration with First Nations to
reflect the most accurate data available, and have been
stabilized to ensure that First Nations receive predictable
funding year-over-year.

If pressed on Education Infrastructure:
• Since April 2016 and as of June 30, 2023, more than $1.97 billion
in targeted funds have been invested to support 302 schoolrelated
infrastructure projects, including the construction or
renovation of 215 schools, benefiting approximately 35,000
students.

If pressed on Language and Cultural Programming
• Our Government recognizes that investments in language and
culture are a critical component of successful First Nation
education systems on-reserve.
• That is why we provide up to $1,735 per student per year to
support language and culture programming in on-reserve
schools.
• In 2022-2023, close to 94% of students attending First Nations
administered schools were taught at least one subject in a First
Nations language.

If pressed on Regional Education Agreements
• Our Government recognizes that the establishment of education
systems designed, implemented and managed by First Nations,
is a significant step towards improving educational success for
First Nations students.
• Regional education agreements are a pathway for First Nations
to advance self-determination over their education systems. To
date, we have signed ten regional education agreements with
First Nations partners, and discussions continue with an
additional 50 plus First Nations and First Nations education
organizations to advance education agreements across the
country.
• Budget 2022 invested $310.6 million over five years to support
better student outcomes through a Regional Education
Agreement with the First Nations Education Council, which
includes 22 member communities in Quebec.

If pressed on Post-Secondary Education Support for Students:
• Since 2015, the Government has invested over $902 million in
Indigenous post-secondary education.
• These investments were used to expand financial assistance for
First Nations students while supporting First Nations
engagement on the development of regional post-secondary
education models.
• They also support the Inuit and Métis Nation post-secondary
education strategies, which include funding for students,
complementary programs and services, and regional
institutional and governance capacity to support service
delivery.

If pressed on Post-Secondary Education Support for Institutions
• We provide funding to support First Nations to define their own
partnerships with institutions, leading to an increase in the
availability of post-secondary education programs tailored to
First Nation’s cultural and educational needs.
• Currently, the main program that supports First Nations Post-
Secondary Education institutions and community-based
programming has a core budget of over $22.20 million per year.
• We are also supporting the Inuit and Métis Nation strategies,
which can support both post-secondary education institutions
and community partnerships.
• Numerous First Nations, Inuit- and Métis Nation-established
post-secondary education institutions exist in Canada and vary
widely in terms of size and program offerings.

If pressed on Budget 21 Investments:
• Budget 2021 invested $1.6 billion over five years and $300
million ongoing for First Nations elementary and secondary
education.
• This includes:
o $726 million over five years and $188 million ongoing to
support work with partners to refine funding in critical areas,
provide predictable funding year-to-year, and develop and
conclude more regional education agreements;
o $350 million over five years to support adult education; and,
o $515 million over five years and $112 million ongoing to
support before- and after-school programming on reserve.

If pressed on Reform of Provincial School Curricula
• Given that education off-reserve falls under the jurisdiction of
provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has no
direct control over the development of curricula.
• Indigenous Services Canada supports First Nations to engage
with provincial and territorial governments on such matters.
• Canada has worked to leverage relationships with organizations
such as the Council of Ministers of Education, in order to
enhance the knowledge and awareness of Indigenous history
and culture across Canada. However, provinces and territories
are wholly responsible for modifying school curricula to
ultimately raise awareness on residential schools and
Indigenous peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions
to Canada.