Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We're challenged with teacher turnovers. Number one, we don't have enough first nations teachers, and we're looking for ways of getting more, in terms of strategy. There are teacher training programs across the country and they really deserve added support from the federal government.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I don't have any stats on that; Indian Affairs would have them, and that would be a question to ask. But there's a very large volume of adult learners or young adults who have not completed grade 12. We know that from the stats of those who don't complete. There's a big pool of learners out there, so we're not wanting for students.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  For first nations learners from reserves who attend public schools, the federal government pays exactly the same block rate for that seat in the public schools. That's what the province bills us, or you guys—the federal government—for the education of status on-reserve learners.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  When you talk about the per student funding, is that combining the total education budget that INAC has, or is it per student in terms of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary? Do you discriminate your funding packages?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's an interesting question. Yes, I think the attitudes towards first nations people come from a very high level. The Prime Minister and the cabinet of this country have made decisions, purposeful decisions, that have excluded first nations from the benefits of full citizenship in this country for many years.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think when you say the entry requirements might be a little less than for post-secondary, in many cases they're not. The entry into a lot of the apprentice areas requires math and science now in ways it didn't before. That's becoming a real challenge. I know in B.C., and probably across the country, students' success in math is significantly low.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The difference in outcome hasn't been that great. Both first nations schools and public schools are challenged, in terms of success, generally speaking, in attendance, retention of students to grade 12, or to whatever grade they go to, and gaining specific academic skills. There's still a challenge there on both sides, so I don't see either....

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We signed the memorandum of understanding several years ago; I think it was in 1996. The province, the federal government, and first nations agreed to work together to improve the success of aboriginal learners, first nations learners, in both public schools and first nations schools.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  What is the question?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  As with K to 12 education, we should put post-secondary education more in the hands of first nations people, making first nations people responsible for programming and the results their learners are getting. That's one issue. Again, to promote partnerships.... The majority of first nations post-secondary learners go to public institutions, and there have to be partnerships, agreements, memoranda of understanding, and protocols between first nations and those public institutions.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I want to address what you can do at the post-secondary level to preserve culture. I'm associated with Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. One of the ideas we're looking at is a community of first nations learners. In this case we take the students who haven't quite made the eligibility for full post-secondary entrance, so we're preparing them in terms of college or university preparation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think the question was how do you preserve the culture for first nations. It's a very high-level question, and it has to do with the Government of Canada and the people of Canada--the non-first nations people of Canada--giving full respect and recognition to the aboriginal title and rights as set out in section 35 of the Constitution, recognizing the right to the land for those who have aboriginal title, updating the old treaties to ensure there's a contemporary perspective given to those, and really respecting and recognizing first nations as having a right to live in this country as unique people.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In terms of funding, I think we have to get real in terms of the numbers we're dealing with. We have an idea about how many students aren't getting access to post-secondary education just because of funding. They're eligible, but they're not getting in. We don't have any research tools to tell us the real numbers on that.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I was worried about that. Certainly we're challenged just in terms of the broad social condition of first nations people in terms of poverty, in terms of access to services in our communities, health, addictions--all leading to challenges to just being successful in post-secondary education.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Bonjour, good morning, and weyt-k. It's good to be invited. Thank you for the invitation to appear before this committee, which seems to be influential over the lives of first nations people, and in this case particularly over education. I should take a time check. It's 10 minutes?