Affirmative Action Discussed At Education Summit
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 11:24
A high-profile educator says he doesn’t buy much of the criticism being levelled at the Post-Secondary Student Support Program for First Nations students.
Alex Usher is the editor-in-chief of Global Higher Education Strategy, an education think-tank in eastern Canada.
Speaking yesterday at a summit on Aboriginal education in Saskatoon, Usher noted that opponents of the program contend it lacks accountability and that much of the
funding is distributed unfairly on reserve.
Usher said he has heard of some cases of favourtism in how education grant money is distributed on First Nations — but he feels much of those reports are unsubstantiated.
Usher added that it’s important to sort these questions out, because he feels frequent mention of them tends to erode political desire to fund the program.
Some Aboriginal leaders across Canada have said they fear Ottawa wants to erase grants for First Nations students in favour of repayable loans.
Meanwhile, the president of the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan says he agrees some form of affirmative action may have to be looked at in order to increase the number of Aboriginal instructors in post-secondary education.
Michael Atkinson, the director of an institution in BC, said serious moves had to be made to increase the number of Aboriginal students who become teachers.
He says while affirmative action is controversial, he believes it could pay off in the long run.
MN-S President Robert Doucette says his organization has already forged ahead with its own plan to develop more teachers.
Doucette notes SUNTEP has graduated 982 students thus far, and their taxes have contributed $15 million to the province.
Doucette adds Metis have to work especially hard for education opportunities, as their funding opportunities are quite limited.
Meantime, at least one professor from the First Nations University of Canada says he is disappointed no one from the school was invited to speak at yesterday’s Aboriginal education summit in Saskatoon.
Dr. Arzu Sardali, a respected physics teacher from the institution, expressed his disappointment during the question and answer session from the floor.
George Lafond with the University of Saskatchewan responded by saying the aim of the conference differed slightly from the FNUC’s mandate, adding there was no slight intended.
Sardali has invited the summit organizers to hold the conference at the FNUC in the future.