Post-Secondary Education

First Nations have an inherent and Treaty right to education, including post-secondary education (PSE) as part of a lifelong learning process.

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The Assembly of First Nations advocates for these rights through policy changes and federal budget submissions that reflect First Nations Control of First Nations Education.

Strong, effective and inclusive PSE systems provide a fundamental opportunity for building relationships and advancing reconciliation between the Crown and First Nations, as expressed in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Post-Secondary Education

  • Technical teams of students, directors of education, post-secondary coordinators,  members of the Chiefs Committee on Education, National Indian Education Council and representatives from First Nation education institutions are preparing recommendations to ensure improved access to post-secondary education and improved supports required for student success for First Nations.

  • First Nations from across Canada are leading a review of federal post-secondary education programming.

  • Budget 2017 announced that the Government of Canada would undertake a comprehensive and collaborative review with Indigenous partners of all current federal programs that support Indigenous students who wish to pursue post-secondary education.

  • The purpose of the review is to ensure that these programs meet the needs of individual students while supporting attendance at, and completion of, a post-secondary degree or credential.

  • In accordance with AFN Resolution 14/2017, Post-Secondary Education Federal Review, First Nations led their own review with a separate First Nations report.

  • The independent facilitators leading the review process are looking for input on current challenges, needs and goals from the perspectives of First Nations students and First Nations education institutions.

Co-Development of Post-Secondary Education Policy

In accordance with a number of national resolutions, including the most recently passed AFN resolution 29/2018 First Nations Post-Secondary Education Review Report and Recommendations,  the AFN Chiefs Committee on Education and National Indian Education Council were directed by Chiefs-in-Assembly to facilitate the drafting of a new federal policy for First Nations post-secondary education.  The overall goal of this effort is to secure adequate funding and supports for post-secondary students and First Nations Institutions of Higher Learning.

Together with the CCOE and NIEC, AFN brought together First Nations experts and leaders in education to develop a draft policy proposal based on the long-standing goal of First Nations control of First Nations education and the long-sought after improvements to federal programming and supports for First Nations post-secondary students. The draft proposal outlines specific budget asks with the intent to support First Nations in designing and implementing their own Treaty-based, self-government based or regionally-based models of post-secondary education.
In December 2018 Chiefs-in-Assembly supported the First Nations Post-Secondary Policy Proposal as the First Nations submission in an Indigenous Services Memorandum to Cabinet.

Recent Documents

Recent Resolutions

 

Recent Documents

Federal Commitments:

  • Budget 2019 allocated $327 million dollars over five years to First Nations for the Post-Secondary Student Support Program.
  • First Nations will begin to transition from current restrictions in PSE to more holistic approaches that support the unique needs of every Nation.
  • This falls far short of the $1.7 billion required to close the gap in post-secondary education.
  • The 2019 Budget included $7.5 million over three years to support First Nations in exploratory discussions, engagement, partnership tables and model design with their members.

Join the conversation

Share your needs for post-secondary success

Post-Secondary Education

First Nations from across Canada are leading a review of federal post-secondary education programming. Technical teams of students, directors of education, post-secondary coordinators,  members of the Chiefs Committee on Education, National Indian Education Council and representatives from First Nation education institutions are preparing recommendations to ensure improved access to post-secondary education and improved supports required for student success for First Nations. This work is in response to an announcement made in the 2017 federal budget.

Budget 2017 announced that the Government of Canada would undertake a comprehensive and collaborative review with Indigenous partners of all current federal programs that support Indigenous students who wish to pursue post-secondary education. The purpose of the review is to ensure that these programs meet the needs of individual students while supporting attendance at, and completion of, a post-secondary degree or credential.

In accordance with AFN Resolution 14/2017, Post-Secondary Education Federal Review, First Nations led their own review with a separate First Nations report.
The independent facilitators leading the review process are looking for input on current challenges, needs and goals from the perspectives of First Nation students and First Nation education institutions.

Celso CercadoPost Secondary Education