Education

To: The Honourable Bill Morneau
430 Parliament Street (Main Office)
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 3A2

Dear Mr. Morneau
A few years ago I was fortunate to be part of a coaching program for Indigenous students starting their first year at Trent University. It was an eye-opening experience that left me aware of the extent of the uneven playing field First Nations students have to overcome.

I understand that the recent budget took a step in the right direction to address the fact that First Nations, Metis and Inuit children have had less per child spent on education than their counterparts who are not Indigenous. The reviews that I have read about the most recent budget (e.g.; http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/mixed-reaction-to-8-4b-budgeted-for-indigenous-people-1.2828119) range from cautiously optimistic to disappointed.

One thing that I wanted to point out from my experience is how student’s reality is amplified by the conditions they find at home and in the community. For many of the students at Trent being away from their support systems and what was familiar was demoralizing.

There was another piece that was a barrier, from my perspective, for these kids. As a middle class white parent I encouraged my children to go to teachers to work out any issues that they might encounter from being unsure of an assignment, wanting to improve a grade or being by-passed for recognition of their contribution. I considered learning to stand up for themselves as part of their education. My reality and what I basically guaranteed my daughters was that their voices counted and that they would be heard if they would speak up and present a rational case.

This was the set of assumptions that my white privilege afforded me and my children. The students that I coached at Trent assumed the opposite. The few that I encouraged to go to professors or teaching assistants or other advisors to address late assignments or overwhelm or the challenges of family issues had no trust that “the system” or anyone in the authority would help them or listen to their concerns.

We need to do right in terms of making educational funding a priority along with guaranteeing other kinds of community support for students. In order for the playing field to be levelled in any meaningful way investment in education needs to be significant not just adequate.

Please continue to fight for a budget that looks beyond the numbers.