First Nations get a say in how Ed money spent

Barry Neufeld won't be on the local board of education when School District No. 33 finalizes its aboriginal education agreement with First Nations communities. He's confident though all the I's will be dotted and the T's crossed in the not-too-distant future.
At his final meeting as a trustee last week, Neufeld delivered his report as the chair of the board's curriculum and instruction committee, noting the progress being made on the front to deliver a local agreement for aboriginal students. Neufeld estimated there are almost 1,800 aboriginal students in the district.
He also pointed out the federal government provides money to individual bands but it is up to the bands and the district to set up their agreements for aboriginal education.

"We want First Nations to have a say in how their money is going to be spent," he told his colleagues on the board.
Neufeld expects the new board will have more information to work with next month. He said there will be two separate documents. The first is the enhancement agreement, which sets out to enhance educational opportunities for all aboriginal students. Curriculum and instruction committee minutes point out the enhancement agreement will establish the terms for success and how all the partners will be able to measure this. At present, there are still few details about what the agreement means. The general aim though is to bring education closer to First Nations parents and the communities in general.
Along with the enhancement agreement, there are local education agreements in the works with several individual bands, such as the Kwaw Kwaw Apilt, Soowahlie, Shxwha:y, Squiala, Tzeachten and Skwah, among others.
While much of the work has been completed, Neufeld pointed to a couple of things that will need addressing, such as the possible establishment of an organization to follow through on the agreement, something the new board will likely be addressing. An even bigger issue he cited is the large number of off-reserve aboriginal people not covered by band agreements.
"The only real challenge yet is who really represents aboriginal people who don't live on the reserves," Neufeld said.
At a meeting earlier this year, district staff outlined the enhancement process, which had started with discussions with the individual bands. After this, school district and other educational partners were brought into meetings with the aboriginal communities to discuss how to make the system best meet the needs of aboriginal students.