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July 10, 2006 Ottawa—The Canadian Council on Learning congratulates the First Nations Education Steering Committee, the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia on the signing of the historic agreement that provides First Nations with jurisdiction over First Nations’ education in British Columbia.
“Education is the key to success for current and future generations of Aboriginal people, and their success will benefit all Canadians,” stated Dr. Paul Cappon, President and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning. “As a significant and growing proportion of the population, Aboriginal people have already contributed and will continue to contribute to our collective economic prosperity, the skill sets of our workforce and our social well-being. This agreement is a very positive step.” Nearly twice as many working-age Aboriginals do not have a high-school diploma (39%) as non-Aboriginal Canadians (22%). In 2004 the Auditor General reported that the gap was not decreasing and estimated that even with concerted action it could take 28 years to achieve parity with the provinces. To achieve parity requires innovative learning of skills and methodologies based on Aboriginal knowledge and experience.
Aboriginal heritage, language and identity have been identified among Aboriginal Peoples as fundamental to their learning and aspirations. This new agreement should enable First Nations in British Columbia to identify school programs that meet their community’s aspirations and their students’ needs, recognizing their future is built on the inclusion of their histories, knowledge, and experience.
Dr. Marie Battiste, Director of the Aboriginal Education Research Centre at the University of Saskatchewan and co-lead of the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre stated, “It is appropriate that Aboriginal people take control of their children’s education. The existing models have failed. This new collaborative model will assist First Nations to identify the learning model needed for them, work to close the gap and offer other jurisdictions an example of an exemplary practice.”
The Canadian Council on Learning’s new Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre, led by a consortium of Aboriginal educators and partner institutions, has a mandate to identify effective approaches to learning for all Aboriginal Peoples, from early childhood through to the workplace. It will provide a forum where promising practices from across Canada and around the world can be showcased and shared. It will regularly convene educators, policy makers, academics and learners to promote collaboration and to develop strategies for more effective learning systems. It will contribute to designing indicators and reporting on progress toward goals.
Whether it is through sharing effective approaches or developing indicators to measure progress, CCL and the knowledge centre are well positioned to provide valuable information to group and community leaders as they begin to implement changes through this new agreement.
The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded through an agreement with Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Its mandate is to promote and support evidence-based decision making about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the workplace and beyond.
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The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded through an agreement with Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Its mandate is to promote and support evidence-based decisions about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.
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