Students Say Aboriginal Students Should Be an Elections Issue
With a provincial election today, the Canadian Federation of Students are disappointed to see that nobody is talking about helping Aboriginal youth.
“As a university student, I know that the current government’s policy of increasing tuition fees is placing a greater strain on me, my family and my community,” said Pat Smoke, Ontario Aboriginal Students Commissioner for the Canadian Federation of Students.
“My struggles are similar to the struggles faced by other First Nations youth as well as the struggles faced by youth from both the Métis and Inuit communities. We’re calling on all parties to make meaningful commitments to improving the lives of Aboriginal people while maintaining respect for their local autonomy.”
At the heart of their concern is the inadequate help from the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), a program designed to help Status Indian and Inuit who are eligible for post-secondary programs. Why the amount of assistance available has grown by 2 per cent each year, tuition prices in Ontario have grown by an average of 5 per cent, per year.
“We are calling on the leaders of the Progressive Conservatives, the NDP, the Greens and the Liberals to make substantive promises to improve Aboriginal students’ access to higher education in Ontario and to commit to strengthening relationships while respecting the autonomy of Indigenous communities,” said Smoke.
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