Chiefs in Ontario Encourage First Nation Direction in Reform of Post Secondary Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

TORONTO— The Chiefs in Ontario want to acknowledge the success of First Nations in Ontario in delivering the Post Secondary Education Program and providing support to students in the wake of the release of the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Audit on Post Secondary Education Program. At a time when many students are feeling pressure over academic year end assignments and upcoming exams, First Nations students are facing the additional pressure of rumoured changes to the post secondary program. The Chiefs in Ontario say this is unacceptable.“It is critical that the remedy to this situation not be a continuance of unilateral, imposed solutions by Ottawa. We’ve seen time and again that Ottawa based solutions do not work,” says Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse. “Furthermore, it is not a question of more regulation and reporting from First Nations. The Auditor-General has already pointed to the fact that First Nations face a serious burden of over-reporting to INAC for program funding. Rather, the solution will be found in working with First Nation governments towards fair and sustainable funding based on real cost drivers.”

First Nations want accountability for all funding and demand reassurances that this funding is effectively and efficiently administered. First Nations have spoken out for over a decade about the fact that the program funding levels were inappropriate in light of rising tuition costs and the fact that the First Nation population is the fastest growing segment of the Canadian population.

Following a recent appearance before the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, the Department was asked to release an internal audit completed in January of this year. The audit, released yesterday, shows that INAC management of this program has serious flaws. Indeed, the audit found that INAC officials are unable to report on the effectiveness of the program, have not reviewed the sufficiency and appropriateness of funding levels and have not established a performance management framework to track outcomes based on accurate data.

“The Post Secondary Education Program Audit confirms previous findings made by both the Auditor General’s 2004 report and the ‘No Higher Priority’ report. Both of which spoke to the need to modify administrative processes to better support the program currently being delivered by First Nations, to work in partnership with First Nations, and to immediately lift the 2% cap on funding that has been in place since 1996,” says Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse. “The way forward must be set through collaboration and characterized by transparency, by working with our Governments and establishing fair funding transfers and accountability mechanisms we will all be able to work to the fundamentally important goal of supporting our learners to succeed.”

The Chiefs in Ontario, comprising the 133 First Nations in Ontario, is a political forum and secretariat for collective decision-making, action and advocacy.

-30-

For more information and/or interviews, please contact:
Harmony Rice
Communications
Chiefs of Ontario
1-877-517-6527
416-576-9718
harmony @ coo.org (no spaces)