The recently released provincial auditor’s report highlights the high failure rate of Aboriginal students and recommends better reporting and public disclosure from school divisions on what they are doing to address the issue.

According to the report, an Aboriginal student in Saskatchewan has a 36 per cent chance of graduating from high school – one in three.

The graduation rate for non-Aboriginal students is just under 75 per cent – about three out of four.

The auditor’s report looks at graduation rates over a ten-year period from 2000 to 2010.

Over this period, graduation rates have increased seven per cent for Aboriginal students, from 29 per cent to 36 per cent.

For non-Aboriginal students, the rate has remained constant at about 75 per cent.

In her report, auditor Judy Ferguson writes, “Students who do not complete Grade 12 have fewer work opportunities, less income and ultimately poorer health.”

She says over the long-term Grade 12 graduation rates affect the size of the skilled workforce and ultimately the provincial economy.