Mr. Chair, while we have made important investments in first nations education, we know that money is not the answer. That is why we are committed to making the structural changes needed to improve literacy and graduation rates and to ensure students have a safe and secure learning environment.
People should realize that first nation students are the only students in Canada whose education is not governed by comprehensive education legislation. A first nation education act would create the structures and standards to support strong and accountable education systems on reserve and provide a framework for improved school governance, while allowing communities to adapt the delivery of education to meet their unique local cultural need, and that is important.