Specific funding needs

To: Canada

  1. In order to provide the foundation required to achieve better education outcomes, subject to the plans, priorities and needs of each First Nation community in NAN territory, provide additional core funding to expand existing facilities or build new facilities (and thereafter to maintain and operate those facilities) for the purpose of housing the following educational/instructional services sufficient for a growing population:
    1. A day care program/early childhood education program/drop-in program for all pre-school age children in the community. This facility should be designed and built to further the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development of the children and to prepare them for kindergarten.
    2. An elementary school for all children in JK to grade 8 in the community. This facility should be designed and built to further the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development of the children and to prepare them for high school. It should also be designed and built to accommodate extra-curricular activities that include traditional, cultural, recreational, academic, artistic and athletic activities.
    3. A high school for all children grades 9-12 in the community. This facility should be designed and built to further the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development of the children and to prepare them for post-secondary education. It should also be designed and built to accommodate extra-curricular activities that include traditional, cultural, recreational, academic, artistic and athletic activities.
    4. An adult learning centre for adults in the community who wish to complete their high school diploma.
    5. Should ensure that all existing facilities and all new facilities meet the needs of individuals with barriers to accessibility.
  2. In order to recruit teachers and encourage them to remain in First Nation communities and build lasting relationships with students, provide funding to:
    1. construct, enlarge, refurbish (as required), and maintain living accommodation for teachers and other professionals
    2. ensure all professional accommodations have adequate space to accommodate the staff that will be required for the growing population of the communities and the projected population growth in the coming years
    3. develop programs to increase the number of on-reserve teachers who are local First Nations community members through:
      1. financial assistance to those seeking education and training as teachers
      2. initiatives to encourage First Nations people to become teachers
      3. initiatives to specifically seek out, train, and recruit First Nations people as teachers
    4. support schools in NAN territory to provide salaries, pension, benefits, compensation and overall remuneration of teachers, principals, administrators, and education staff at a level on par with their provincial counterparts
    5. provide all teachers on-reserve with access to the Teach for Canada program
    6. provide isolation pay for teacher retention on remote reserves to help with the high cost of living.
  3. In order to provide healthy learning environments that encourage attendance and participation by students, provide funding to:
    1. ensure that all education facilities have reliable and sufficient sources of heat, potable water and sanitation
    2. ensure that education facilities have adequate internet bandwidth to support full access to all available on-line learning for all learners
    3. ensure that the education facilities include a kitchen capable of producing three (3) hot meals a day for all of the learners, teachers and staff housed in the facilities and for the parents/caregivers who bring their children to the facilities for educational purposes
    4. offer all learners access to well-equipped:
      1. gymnasium(s)
      2. exercise space
      3. computer labs
      4. libraries
      5. music rooms
      6. art rooms
      7. drama classes
      8. special education classes
      9. science labs (as appropriate)
      10. spaces for traditional, cultural activities
      11. spaces for Elders
      12. purpose built space for social workers, youth workers, addiction counsellors, and activity coordinators
      13. general purpose classrooms
      14. spaces large enough to host graduation celebrations and other education-related celebrations for the community.
  4. Commencing in 2017, the facility goals set out above should be achieved for a predetermined number of First Nation communities in NAN territory based on priority needs, and an equal number of communities each year thereafter until all of the communities in NAN territory have achieved their facility goals.

To: Canada and Ontario

  1. Each remote First Nation community should be provided with reliable high speed internet access to allow for youth to:
    1. receive high school education at home
    2. community and family connectivity when youth are away from home for school or for other reasons
    3. career options for youth and their families within their communities.

Timeline and implementation plan

To: Canada

  1. In order to show its commitment to the implementation of Recommendations 25 through 29, issue a public announcement after the verdict regarding that commitment, and consider incorporating the criteria set out in the recommendations in documents relating to First Nations education programs, including the National Education Program Guidelines.
  2. In order to ensure timely implementation of Recommendations 25 through the joint First Nations working group, as described in Recommendation 13, should develop agreed upon milestones and timelines such that a performance measurement and reporting protocol can be established within one year from the date of these recommendations.

To: Canada and Ontario

  1. Provide resources through the Education Partnerships Program or another source to establish a First Nation working group in Thunder Bay, Ontario, composed of First Nation education experts who will provide their expertise to assist NAN, the Tribal Councils and the First Nations in NAN territory in conducting the following assessments:
    1. an assessment of the current educational achievement gap in NAN territory
    2. an assessment of the educational programs and secondary services that would be required to close the educational achievement gap in NAN territory within one generation
    3. an assessment of the amount of resources required to create and implement the educational programs and services required to close the educational achievement gap in NAN territory within one generation
    4. an assessment of the feasibility and mechanism for the creation of a database that would collect and store information related to education in NAN territory.