Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 5, 2009, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page 6 aboriginal education a recent report that Ottawa was reviewing its program for providing financial support to aboriginals seeking a Post secondary education sparked a whirlwind of concern that Federal Grants would be replaced with repayable Loans causing a decline in native enrolment at colleges and universities. Such concern is unwarranted at the moment since the real Issue in the Federal governments mind seems to be whether it or the provinces or first nations themselves should control the financing. The controversy can serve a useful purpose however if it helps focus attention on the role of education in lifting aboriginals out of poverty and in particular whether the resources dedicated to that proposition Are adequate. Unfortunately while just about everyone agrees the state of aboriginal affairs in Canada is deplorable indeed a National embarrassment the question of How to fix the problem is bogged Down in turf wars Between the different Levels of government. Education is a Good example of those convoluted arguments. While Ottawa has a special responsibility for aboriginals it has tended to View that relationship in legalistic terms. So although natives have treaty rights to elementary and secondary education there Are no constitutional obligations to provide funding to attend universities colleges or Trade schools. The same disputes can be found Over health care social services and other programs where the lines of authority and responsibility Are blurred. It is time to end this political equivocation and focus on the eight Ball which prime minister Stephen Harper and the premiers should do when they meet at a first ministers conference on native issues in mid january. The question of funding for aboriginal education is sometimes lost in the big numbers associated with sustaining first nations some $ 9 billion a year is spent in total to support an array of programs and services including the bureaucrats at Indian and Northern affairs Canada. Thatus a lot of Money for one million people which does not include funds spent by the provinces municipalities and private foundations. Lost in the equation however is the fact that aboriginals Are getting shortchanged on the education file. For example the Federal base funding the per student Grants for Reserve schools across Canada is lower than provincial Grants for other schools creating a two tier education system a poor one for natives and a better one for everyone else. The situation is the same with funding to Send aboriginals to University or Trade schools. According to a recent study by the Canada millennium scholarship foundation the amount of Federal Money provided to aboriginal bands for Post secondary student support has decreased Over the years despite a growing aboriginal youth population and a Broad consensus on the importance of sending aboriginals to University and College. Even combined with provincial Aid total support for aboriginal students is five per cent less than it was 10 years ago the study found. The proof that aboriginals Arentt getting the support they need is As they say in the pudding. While More and More natives have been enrolling in Post secondary programs in recent years there is still a huge Gap Between their Levels of educational attainment and the general population. According to the 2006 census 35 per cent of aboriginals had obtained a pos secondary degree or diploma compared to 51 per cent for everyone else. The Gap is All the More significant when aboriginal demographics Are considered about 48 per cent Are under the age of 25 in other words of College age compared to just 31 per cent for the general Canadian population. Other research shows that aboriginals with a University degree had employment rates similar to other groups. In addition As the millennium scholarship foundation Points out Post secondary education is associated with benefits relating to earnings health and Well being As Well As positive Levels of civic and Community engagement. The controversy Over whether the Federal government would switch from Grants or free education As it was dubbed to repayable Loans is probably overstated but the Issue requires some consideration. In a lengthy report by the scholarship foundation entitled factors affecting the use of student financial assistance by first nations youth it was determined that aboriginal youth living on reserves Are unlikely to take out a loan to Advance their education. There Are Many reasons for this aversion to debt including the Assumption that government funding is an aboriginal treaty right a Lack of knowledge on the availability of other funds and poor understanding of How to manage their finances. One of the biggest obstacles however was the fact that aboriginals Are More uncomfortable than the general population with borrowing Money to finance an education. They feared that they would not be Able to pay Back the Money if they did not succeed at College or that they would be denied Grants and band funding if they received Loans from other sources. Its Clear that a lot More work needs to be done to educate native youth on their options for obtaining funds to pursue a Post secondary education. Aboriginals Are struggling with Many issues including inadequate housing poor health and social services and High unemployment and addiction rates but addressing the shortfall in education represents the Best Hope for their future. When the first ministers meet next month they should set aside the jurisdictional squabbles and develop a plan that can make that Hope a reality. Editorials Winnipeg free press monday january 5, 2009 Freedom of Trade Liberty of religion Equality of civil rights a 6 comment editor Gerald flood 697 7269 Gerald. Flood free press. My. Ca Winnipeg repress. Com have your say the free press welcomes letters from readers. They must include the authors name address and Telephone number. Letters May be edited. Letters to the editor 1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg r2x 3b6. Fax 697 7412. E mail letters free press. My. Ca letters represent the opinions of their writers and do not reflect the opinions of the Winnipeg free press or its staff. Poll vote online at wow. Winnipeg repress. Com pompous propaganda one of the few places that you could possibly find More pompous presumptuous propaganda than Jack Granat steins panic piece Milquetoast coalition dec. 22 would be on his institutes website. The premise of Granat steins thesis can be summarized As 1 Canada As we know it is doomed if we dont buy lots of new War machines 2 we must never never annoy the u. S. Government and 3 we must keep Canadas soldiers on the front lines for As Long As humanly possible. With All due respect to Granat steins scholarship i would kindly ask him to poke his narrow minded Noggin out of his Tome filled tank Turret and have a peek at reality. Even Stephen Harper would be hesitant to openly support the professors Contention that ramping up military spending will Benefit the Canadian Economy More than House building. I remind Granatstein of How Many military dictatorships have followed his formula for a robust Economy. As Well i wonder How Many canadians Are truly fed up with being called anti american whenever they disagree with american foreign policy. This bogus shred of tripe is trotted out whenever canadians and usually most americans cant abide some blatant idiocy by the usually Republican u. S. Government. In my books that simply makes us Well informed not anti american. Wayne Ennis Winnipeg crop nos sufferer responds re dad raises funds to Stop crop no dec. 22. I am appalled that it took two years to diagnose this poor girl. I too suffered for years with this and was told by doctors in Manitoba that it was just nerves and was Given valium at 14 years old to Deal with it. Six years later i moved to Calgary and was diagnosed with crop nos within two weeks and had surgery immediately which could have been prevented. Its unbelievable that 15 years later people Are still not being diagnosed properly. I agree that the Public needs to be educated in this but seriously what about the doctors who Are Well paid for their services this is in my opinion the greatest disservice to All of us who Are suffering. Michelle Green Blum Enort funding suggestion re feds hike infrastructure Cash dec. 23. Although roads Bridges and the like Are salient aspects of our environment it is important to remember that they constitute Only a fraction of our infrastructure and that investments in other forms of infrastructure could provide considerable Benefit to Manitoba and its citizens. Manitoba ass universities provide one example of infrastructure worthy of greater support at least Given markedly higher Levels of capital spending on universities in other parts of Canada Over Many years. Statistics Canada recently reported that universities spent $ 13,448.9 million for capital expenditures from 1999 to 2006 in 2001 dollars. Of this amount Manitoba universities spent $ 340.8 million which represents Only 2.5 per cent of the Canadian total far below our 3.7 per cent of Canadas population. If Manitoba had spent 3.7 per cent of the Canadian total on University infrastructure our provincial expenditures on capital funding would have been $ 497.6 million Over the eight year period. This represents an Addi � tonal $ 156.8 million or almost $ 20 million More per year for classrooms and research facilities. Given the value of University research and the desire to educate More students in Manitoba this marked shortfall and the threat of falling even further behind other provinces should be considered in deciding what Manitoba infrastructure projects to fund at the present time. Jim Clark president Manitoba organization of faculty associations keep costs in place re Flaherty should consider stimulating Winnipeg Gas Airport dec. 28. As a taxpayer i find it difficult to accept that Barry Prentice wants the Federal government to eliminate the lease costs negotiated when the Airport was turned Over to the Airport authority. The costs have always been in place and visible and therefore should be a part of any Long term business plan for the Airport. If the Airport authority administration cannot break even under the current monopoly circumstances then it might be time to replace the current administration. If the Federal government makes any changes to the lease agreements it should be to redirect the Money it collects for the lease to the City of Winnipeg. It is after All the City that is most affected by the location of the Airport. When you consider the land area used or affected by the Airport within the City $ 5 million a year sounds like a Good Start for the replacement of lost property tax potential. David Woelk Winnipeg Tow them away re All Over the map dec. 20. I was especially interested in the comment about stalled vehicles during Rush hour. The City should be Able to provide towing and pass the entire Cost onto the vehicle owner. The City has no problem towing illegally parked vehicles or vehicles being driven by suspended Drivers. Fred Morris Winnipeg adoption waiting lists Long it irritates me that most pro Choice people do not comment on the other Side of the Coin the child within the womb. If they believe that there is Only one Side to the Coin surely they Are purposely refusing to acknowledge what is in the womb. The pro Choice people who do acknowledge the child talk about an unwanted child to bring into the world. My comment to them is to Check child and family services As to the waiting list for adoption up to seven years. The unwanted child will be loved by the adoptive parents. And i can guarantee the adoptive parents will be thankful to the biological Mother who brought their new child into this world. Joe Ksiazyk Brandon reopen abortion debate re revisit abortion debate my dec. 29. If the acting executive director of canadians for Choice claims people Are Happy with the status quo Why Are pro abortion advocates worried the conservatives will reopen the abortion debate May i suggest that they Are worried because they know that not All canadians Are Happy with the current Lack of abortion legislation the abortion debate needs to be reopened and the Root of the Issue needs to be addressed. The debate is often clouded by discussion about a omens rights but the fact of the matter is that in Canada it is illegal for any person female or male to kill another. Thus if the unborn is a human being person it should be illegal to kill them and if not then it should be Legal. Hence the real Issue Here is what is the unborn Laura Harke Winnipeg Winnipeg free press est 1872 / Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 vol 137 no 55 2009 Winnipeg free press a division of up Canadian newspapers limited partnership published seven Days a week at 1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg Manitoba r2x 3b6, pm 697 7000 a member of the Manitoba press Council Bob Cox / publisher Margo Goodhand / editor to Days question is the frigid weather reducing your outdoor Winter activity previous question have you already failed your new years Resolution yes 8% no 17% did not make any 74% total 1,507 letter of the Day Macc responds re put a Cork in i dec. 27. While it is Manitoba liquor control commission policy not to discuss issues before the courts nor details of business agreements with our Industry partners i would like to clarify inaccuracies in a recent article regarding a dispute with private wine stores and speak to comments made in a subsequent editorial. The Macc operating agreements with eight private wine store operators include a dispute Resolution process consisting of discussion mediation and arbitration. In a recent arbitration hearing Between five of the six standalone wine stores and the Macc the arbitration hearing panel decided in the Mac cos favour on six of seven dispute areas. The Mac cos role As both a regulator and retailer of beverage alcohol was mentioned in the arbitration panels report however it is important to put this role into perspective. The Macc enjoys successful business relationships with 271 privately owned Beer vendors 177 privately owned liquor vendors and duty free stores and three of the privately owned specially wine stores. Don Lussier Macc president & ceo a 06_ Jan 05 09. Ind a6 1/ 4/ 09 5 47 07 pm ;