As I read the PG Citizen, life just doesn't make sense.
In the Jan. 31 edition the headlines read, "CNC vows to keep aboriginal program." The news article went on to explain that the province was not going to continue to provide $400,000 a year to continue the College of New Caledonia aboriginal service program.
This money went to pay 80 per cent of the salaries and benefits of five liaison workers.
The good news was that since the program began three years ago CNC has seen a 126 per cent increase in the number of its aboriginal students to 1,552 from 744, and the number of credentials achieved by aboriginal student rose 126 per cent to 156 from 69.
Will the program keep operating and expanded? No, the province has to study the program and the funding will be cancelled. Does this make any sense?
Look at the story in the Tuesday, Feb. 22, edition of the Citizen. The headline on page 5 reads, "Ministers to discuss Aboriginal student education gaps."
The meeting takes place in Toronto. A quote from Andrew Parkin , director of the Council of Ministers of Education Canada is troubling.
"There are concerns at every stage in the education continuum from being ready for school going into kindergarten all the way up to graduation from university and college," said Parkin.
The next meeting of education ministers should be in Prince George where the education ministers can visit the CNC programs and find out more about the aboriginal service program.
Also, have the ministers visit some of the overcrowded, inadequate housing which many of our First Nations children live in. The ministers may get better ideas why there are "gaps" in aboriginal educational results.
Joe Haddock
Prince George
