Policy Scholar Makes Push For Native School Boards

Policy Scholar Makes Push For Native School Boards

Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 15:00

 

 

An official at a Canadian think tank says First Nations should have their own school boards to look after education on reserves.

 

Michael Mendelson made that pitch to the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples last night.

 

Mendelson is a senior scholar with the Caledon Institute of Social Policy.

 

He said something needs to be done, because 70 per cent of First Nations people on reserves don’t complete high school.

 

Some senators expressed concern that Mendelson’s idea would create another level of bureaucracy.

 

But he said these First Nations school boards would work with provincial education ministries, not replace them.

 

Mendelson said First Nations would be given the opportunity to opt into the program.

 

He predicted they would, over time, because they know the need to improve Aboriginal education is so great.