Closing the gap and crossing the threshold – A brighter future for Aboriginal Canadians is within reach

by Paul Davidson
President and CEO
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

Three years ago this month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized on behalf of the government of Canada and all Canadians for the national shame of the residential school system. It was a powerfully symbolic moment. But many wondered if any concrete action would follow. Since then, a number of developments have given rise to a new sense of optimism that there can be real progress on the myriad challenges facing Canada’s Aboriginal peoples.

Since the apology, there has been a growing recognition that responsibility for finding solutions lies with all of us. The tone of the national conversation has shifted from one of assigning blame and pointing fingers to one that recognizes governments, the private sector, Aboriginal communities and civil society all have contributions to make. Shawn Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, reminds us that “we are all treaty people.” And for the first time, leaders from all of these sectors are working together with a sense of common purpose.

Another encouraging note is the new willingness to embrace innovation as part of the solution. The “innovation agenda” is most often described in terms of developing new products or services to enhance productivity, but it extends to meeting the needs of Aboriginal Canadians as well. All parties are looking to new structures, approaches and models – in areas including education and health care – to achieve real results for Aboriginal Canadians.

There is also a broad consensus that closing the education gap is essential to making progress on every other issue. The Canadian government recognizes the urgent need to act: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has created an expert panel to provide advice on how to remedy this, and earlier this month Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan announced the Canada-First Nations Joint Action Plan that places education at the top of the agenda.

Canada’s universities have worked with Aboriginal leaders over the last two years to propose a series of measures that are proven to increase Aboriginal access and success. Deans of Education across the country have developed and are implementing an Accord on Indigenous Education that will increase the number of Aboriginal teachers in the classroom and Aboriginal researchers at university, as well as offering educational programs more relevant to Aboriginal people.

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada also recently completed an inventory of programs and services to support Aboriginal success on campus. It found that since 2006, universities are offering more support programs to Aboriginal students, providing more bursaries, creating more relevant curriculum and producing more Aboriginal graduates than ever before. A university degree is a gateway to hope and opportunity for Aboriginal students and their families. Many of these graduates studied in programs that Aboriginal communities need the most, such as health, education and business.

A compelling economic and demographic urgency is inspiring action. Canada is an aging society with large-scale retirements about to start. Employers are asking where they will find the people they need. In the next 15 years, more than 400,000 Aboriginal young people will reach labour-market age. Will they be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to be full participants in Canada’s prosperity?

The Centre for the Study of Living Standards estimates that closing the education gap would lead to following results in 2026: income increases of $36.5 billion; government revenue increasing by $3.5 billion; and government expenditures declining by $14.2 billion. This economic and demographic data prompted Don Drummond, former Chief Economist at TD and now at Queen’s School of Policy Studies, to convene a group of educators, policy makers and employers this month in Kingston to identify a path forward on Aboriginal education as a matter of national priority.

All present at the Kingston conference recognized that substantial new investments will be required to transform educational outcomes for Aboriginal people. And the current constellation of leadership, innovation, focus and economic urgency makes this an unprecedented opportunity to move forward.

Mary Simon, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, spoke of this unparalleled sense of direction and urgency when she released the National Inuit Education Strategy on Parliament Hill last week. Reflecting that she had been present when Prime Minister Harper offered Canada’s apology, she remarked that we are on the threshold of something truly new and different.

Perhaps Canada is now ready to cross that threshold.