Funding cuts for provincial schools

Children attending public schools outside of Kahnawake may be at risk of losing access to certain support services and initiatives, after the Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ) announced a suspension of funding as part of $200 million of budget cuts in the education system.

“We’re encouraging parents to reach out to their schools and school boards and ask questions about how this will impact their children, and whether there will be accommodations or measures put in place to make sure the success of Indigenous students is maintained,” said Falen Iakowennaiéwas Jacobs, the Kahnawake Education Center (KEC)’s director of education.

“Unfortunately, Indigenous students across the province are impacted, including Kahnawa’kehró:non, so it’s really unfortunate.”

The cuts concern a group of measures known as 15060, which are put in place to address Onkwehón:we students’ unique needs in provincial preschool, elementary, and secondary schools. These include activities under measure 15061, which supports activities that promote the educational success of Indigenous students, as well as reconciliation-based activities that are designed to foster the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

This could include cultural outings or purchases of resources educating students about Indigenous history.

The situation arises from premier François Legault’s demand for a $200 million cut to education to help address an $11 billion budget deficit. According to Bryan St-Louis, a spokesperson for the MEQ, $19.9 million has already been approved for Indigenous student success for the 2024-25 school year, around $1 million more than was spent the previous year.

All purchases under the measure that were approved before December 13 will be honoured, St-Louis said, with anything else the subject of a “temporary pause.”

St-Louis did not respond to requests asking for clarification on if or when that pause will be lifted.

“It’s disappointing, but it’s not surprising,” Jacobs said. “As history has shown, we’re used to not being considered or consulted, and being more of an afterthought.”

The measure only affects provincial schools, which means that students attending private schools, like Kuper Academy, will not be affected. However, public provincial schools, like Howard S. Billings and St. Willibrord Elementary, will be subject to the cuts.

According to KEC, around 270 Kahnawa’kehró:non attend provincial schools outside of the community and could therefore be affected by the cuts.

KEC schools do not receive funding under the measure, and will therefore be unaffected.

Jacobs said that many people were unaware of the cuts – which were shared with school boards on January 27 – and KEC therefore wanted to alert parents to the situation, after receiving briefings from the First Nation Education Council (FNEC).

“We felt it was our duty to inform the community,” Jacobs said. “It wasn’t very widely publicized, and it’s not a secret and shouldn’t be, so now that we have this knowledge it’s our responsibility to inform parents.”

Jacobs said that coincidentally, KEC is also in the process of hiring a provincial schools liaison facilitator, who would be employed by KEC and work directly with provincial school boards.

That person would support students and their families who attend schools outside of the community and advocate for students’ unique cultural and linguistic needs, liaise with internal and external service providers, and identify gaps in services.

It’s likely that these cuts would be something the future facilitator could help navigate.

“This is a very much needed position, it’s brand new, and we’re hoping to have that person selected and on board next month,” Jacobs said. “It’s something we’ve been wanting to implement for quite some time, it just so happens that this all rolled out at the same time, and this role will be crucial during this time of funding cuts.”

Community member Tiawentinon Canadian is an educator, who has worked with Indigenous students outside of the community, including in her role as coordinator of the First People’s Centre at Dawson College. She said the cuts are another blow for Indigenous students, who she feels are continually left behind by the provincial government.

“The funding freeze isn’t surprising considering the government’s attitude toward the needs of Indigenous students over the past few years,” she said.

Legault’s government has been the source of many funding cuts, Canadian said.

“In the CEGEP system, I’ve witnessed the progressive reduction of funds for Indigenous student support since the CAQ (Coalition Avenir Quebec) was elected,” she said, “whereas the Indigenous student population has been growing overall, which is great. Overall, these cuts to support will hinder Indigenous students’ success.”

Parents are advised to reach out to their school boards for more information on the funding freeze, and to stay tuned for communications from KEC once a provincial schools liaison facilitator is hired.

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