Letter of support for the FNEC?s Awareness-Building Campaign on First Nations Education.

Ms. Lise Bastien
First Nations Education Council
95 rue de l?Ours
Wendake, Quebec G0A 4V0

Subject:an end to the under-funding of education in the Quebec First Nations

Dear Ms. Bastien,

I am writing to express my deep concern about the funding situation of the First Nations? schools in Quebec. I was astonished when I recently learned that the funding formula for these schools, which was developed in 1988 by the federal government and has not been revised since then, leaves out important costs in many areas, including integration of information technologies, the purchase of books for school libraries, extra-curricular activities, and the need to keep up with the many developments that have occurred in education in Quebec over the past several years. I was also very surprised to learn that the federal government has never provided funding to develop second-level services for the First Nations, services which are offered by the provincial school boards in Quebec as support that all Quebec schools are entitled to receive.

The consequences are disastrous. The First Nations must decide what basic programs and essential services to cut so that they can fund other equally important programs and services. The schools are also unable to offer competitive salaries and working conditions, which in turn prevents them from providing their children with the same quality of education that all children born in Canada have the right to receive. And these are just some of the consequences of the under-funding experienced by the First Nations? schools in Quebec.

By refusing to provide the First Nations with resources that will allow them access to a quality education, the Canadian government is purposely closing the door to their future.

I wish therefore to indicate my entire support for the recent actions taken by the First Nations Education Council.