First Nations school system urged for Saskatchewan

Long as tax payers are not on the hook for this, bad enough we give money to the Catholic system

Yes it time for native to show some balls and progress into the future quit blaming everything you can . There are schools that could be converted to Native curriculum and teach with in the present system . Maybe you can start to show up for a change .

As a tax payer I don't mind funding being used from our tax dollars to help native children catch up to the rest of Canada.

I have a big problem with money being used for racial schools. Other races seem to do just fine in Canada's school system but for some reason Indians can't? I think it is simply bad parenting being passed down generation to generation. How do we know the schools are not going to simply reinforce the Indians attitude of "White man is responsible for all our problems, so until white man fixes it we cant do anything ourselves"

I have a hard time believing that money hasn't already been allocated, spent, squandered and otherwise just pissed away by the natives or their band council.

I am in favor of sending more money their way, but lets not give it to the same people or the same system that has failed us before...this generation of children deserves better.

For how many years have we heard the plaintiff cry about how we "whites" were responsible for the natives plight by segregating them from society on reserves and residential schools?

In case this Chief hasn't noticed, a school is a school is a school and having the natives running it isn't likely to produce any higher an attendance rate than what they have now, unless, of course, they make some substantial changes to the education system.

If the Government grants this request, I can see one of two things happening. Either the provincial curriculum gets thrown out the window and the graduates end up even farther behind the educational eight ball or, they turn these schools in to native versions of a Madrasah, radicalizing their students even more than is currently happening.

Either way I can see it becomming a big problem in the future.

Great, something else we can get blamed for in 30 years if something goes wrong

EDIT* Actually, that was a little harsh. I hope it's something that really does work.

First Nations school system urged for Saskatchewan

Delbert Wapass, a vice-chief with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, says the time has come for a separate school system for aboriginals in the province. (CBC)The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations says the time has come to create a separate school system for aboriginal youth.

"It is time for us to have the opportunity for us to advance our educational destiny," Delbert Wapass, a vice-chief with the FSIN told a news conference Friday.

Designing and implementing an urban First Nations system will provide an educational opportunity for success, Wapass said, adding that "it's time to break the circle of blame."

Wapass, an elected member of the FSIN executive with responsibilities for education issues, noted that a similar recommendation was made for the school system in Winnipeg.

He said the First Nations system would be rooted in First Nations values, beliefs and traditions and he suggested it would be similar to other separate school divisions such as the Catholic system.

"If you are taught by your people and you are implementing your culture, your identity, your language and a sense of place to belong it's going to breed success at the end of the day," Wapass said.

No success with existing system
He said the current school system is not working and that many First Nations students drop out.

"The province has had decade after decade to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people," Wapass noted. "But has not been able to succeed in doing so."

The FSIN has not yet taken the proposal to the provincial government. However, Wapass suggested that an urban First Nations school could open in the fall of 2010.

He added that any education system would have to be publicly funded.

The FSIN represents almost all First Nations bands in Saskatchewan.

According to the federal government, there are 129,138 registered Indians in the province. Census information shows that about 25 per cent of that number are school aged.

My city taxes are designated to go to the Catholic Schools here as my Children are Catholic...Your provincial tax portion as well as mine fund all schools....

As long as they can pass the exact same provincial tests, that all other schools have to, who cares? If anything goes wrong they only have to look to their mirror to find blame.

This push to segregated schools started in Manitoba recently. Saskatchewan seems to be just following the leader on this.

It's all a bunch of bullshit anyway. There were segregated schools in Alberta when I was a kid. It didn't work. Native kids went to school with the rest of us and the native schools were closed.

In BC, there are native schools and the students don't fare any better in the segregated schools than they do in public ones. They're just able to slip under the radar a little better if they have their own buildings.

No, I'm not prejudice (my kids went to elementary school with a native student population of over 40%, and their high school is a bit over 50%). I'm just sick of the bullshit, sob stories that it's "us whities" ruining their chances of success after YEARS (over 10 of them) of hearing native parents and students alike insisting that there is NO room for homework on the weekends when hockey season starts (which the taxpayers paid for), NO excuse for the teachers to reprimand students for being late for class (it's their right to show up when it's comfortable for them - 9 was ridiculously early), and (my personal favorite) heaven forbid you tell them to try harder on their math or language arts assignments. They don't need that anyway. The Band will put them to work on the reserve and they don't need that "fancy whitey shit".

Used to make me SICK to see SO MANY incredibly bright, capable young people grow into youths who didn't give a shit about anything because they were taught not to by their families. Fourteen year old girls who could have been honour roll students without batting an eye, trade it all for a baby on their hip, conceived with some useless asshole who will likely never have a job, or a future, because "the band will look after them".

They can blow all the smoke they want. It won't change one thing until they truly want it to change.

I can appreciate what you are saying but certain issues like homework should not confused with this matter. I am a 'whitey' and am very opposed to the idea of homework. IMHO, I do not agree with my boss giving me homework, and I do not agree with a teacher giving my son homework. When I was young, homework was just a mechanism that dragged down my grades and interfered with my family life. Furthermore, it is none of our business if its hockey or any other activity that a family chooses to participate in on the weekend.

This no homework BS is why Western students lag behind Asian students. Putting in extra time is part of life if you want to get ahead, rather than putting in the bare minimum. I agree that there should be a limit on the amount given, but an hour or two of homework each day, on the weekend, whether it be research for a paper/project or some reading is a good thing. Education is a continuing process, not just Monday to Friday, 9 - 3:40.