Pros And Cons Of C-33

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C-33 is an Act to establish a framework to enable First Nations control of elementary and secondary education and to provide for related funding and to make related amendments to the Indian Act and consequential amendments to other Acts. It completed the stage of Second Reading and Referral to Committee in the House of Commons. This bill would best fit under Aboriginal Rights and Freedoms under The Charter Rights and Freedoms. In addition, the sponsor of this bill would be the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. Today there are 518 schools on First Nations reserves in Canada. The Constitution puts the federal government in charge of Aboriginal issues, including education, while provinces handle education for everyone else. Parents of First Nations students on reserves express the fear that their children are unable to develop a positive sense of their identity and that the school curriculum rarely reflects the Aboriginal ancestors' true history, diverse cultures and languages and their contributions to Canada. First Nations are asking no more and no less than being allowed to benefit from a quality education that is comparable to that of all other Canadian children. Furthermore, more than half of Canada’s Aboriginal population hasn’t finished high school and just six per cent have a university degree. Many blame the federal government for spending less on Aboriginal schools than the provinces put into their public school systems. Improving the educational outcomes of Aboriginal youth in Canada has been an ongoing challenge for more than a century.