The NDP opposition in the Saskatchewan legislature pressed the government today to implement the recommendations of a joint task force on native education and employment.
The report was released last March following more than a year of public hearings. The NDP says nothing much has happened since then.
NDP Education critic Trent Wotherspoon says the government is dragging its feet on the report.
He says the only thing recommendation it has implemented is to provide drivers education for on reserve schools.
Wortherspoon says that’s a small step, but a huge gap remains.
“We agree this has been an important initiative but it has been the only one addressing the community specific concerns from the report. My question to the minister, does he think on reserve drivers licenses is enough to close the education and employment amoung first nations and metis people in our province?”
Education minister Don Morgan hinted that more announcements would be forthcoming. He also disputed claims that the government is sitting on the recommendations.
He says millions of dollars have been committed to closing the education gap and to improving employment opportunities for Saskatchewan’s first nations and metis people.
“We will in the future, Mr. Speaker, be having a responsed release, but I can advise that we have over 22 million dollars in this year’s budget for first nations and metis initiatives, 3 million dollars in seed money for specific recommendations of the task force report and we are going to be moving ahead with those.”
The joint task force began its work in 2011. Its final report, which contained 25 recommendations was released last March.
While there was no announcement in the throne speech on specific new measures, the education minister says the government is committed to improving the education outcomes of aboriginal students by 50% by 2020.