Gov't ignoring native communities

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The government is deliberately ignoring input from Native communities for their new formula education policy charges the chairman of a national education symposium to be held next month.

"Ottawa has been closing its doors," says Adele Arcand who is also a university student.

The symposium takes place on the Alexander band near Edmonton August 17 to 19 in an effort to offset education cutbacks totalling nearly $600,000 scheduled to come into effect over a two year period.

However Indian Affairs acting director of education, Charlie Green says a number of workshops will be held in Native communities in order to explain the new policy.

Communities taking part in the workshops will be able to make "informed decisions" as well as input into the system says Green.

Fear over the proposed cutbacks has prompted the Whitefish Lake band to request a series of workshops scheduled to take place during August.

"We want more information on the formula funding plan. No one knows how it works. So far, there hasn't been a very good job done in explaining it to us," says band coordinator of education and social services, Brian Pitpitcairn.

There is a question mark in the amount of money bands will get to operate schools because the formula has not actually be used yet, he adds.

Pitpitcairn wants to know how the government arrives at a funding figure for education. "The government won't guarantee that we'll get the same amount of money as the province to run the schools."

Arcand says the situation is the same everywhere. Band controlled schools in Alberta will receive $180 per student for administration costs. She says this figure does not sufficiently meet the needs of band controlled schools.

This year the Alexander reserve school, where 200 students attend classes, will get $32,000. This barely covers the cost of the principal's position and in Quebec, cutbacks will reach about $7 million, with no additional funds over the next seven years.