441-00777 (Indigenous affairs)
- Keywords
- Indigenous rights
- School boards
- School choice
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
In April of 2010, the superintendent and the board of an Alberta school division moved to permanently ban Metis students residing on a nearby Metis Settlement from continuing to attend a division school;
Children from this Metis Settlement had attended the school for the previous decade;
Additionally, any of the Settlement's Metis students entering their grade 12 year were only allowed to complete their high school education at said division school if they physically moved within the division's boundaries, forcing these students to leave their families, their community, and their culture; and
We see this action by the school division leadership and its board as a direct attack on Indigenous Canadians and on the Calls to Action of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, ask the government that the act described herein be fully investigated by the appropriate departments, as we view this school division's action as a blatant contravention of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Response by the Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Vance Badawey
The Minister of Indigenous Services would like to thank the petitioners for expressing their interest and concern regarding access to education for Métis students.
The Government of Canada continues to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, including those on education.
The Government of Alberta has jurisdiction of educational decisions within the province of Alberta, but Indigenous Services Canada remains committed through the Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategy to ensure Métis learners have access to the same high-quality education services and opportunities as other Canadians.
Further, through the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework, the Government of Canada continues to co-develop an overarching vision for a comprehensive early learning and child care system led by Indigenous Peoples, including the Métis Nation.
- Presented to the House of Commons
-
Blake Desjarlais
(Edmonton Griesbach)
October 21, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00777) - Government response tabled
- December 5, 2022
Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.