Watch above: Whitecap Dakota First Nation’s school receives more funding
WHITECAP DAKOTA FIRST NATION, Sask. – It’s the first of its kind in the province. Whitecap Dakota Elementary School is now an alliance school, which means it’s the first on-reserve school to become part of a Saskatchewan school division.
On Friday, Chief Darcy Bear of Whitecap Dakota First Nation (WDFN) and Saskatoon Board of Education Chair Ray Morrison signed the historic education agreement.
A formality after the on-reserve school joined the public school division on Sept. 1.
“At the end of the day what we want to see is our students graduate, they are the future of our community and there’s so much opportunity in our province with the growth and when you look at the demographics in Canada you have an aging population so we see this is an opportunity for our people,” said Bear.
According to Morrison, 16 to 18 per cent of Saskatoon Public Schools’ student population is self-declared First Nations students.
“I would have to say for overall outcomes we have some work to do. We’ve got room to improve and it’s a focus of the school division to get better at helping those First Nations students complete their school and graduate,” added Morrison.
Since the mid-90s, the two entities have had partnership agreements in place.
“In working with Chief Bear and council this has just been a logical evolution for us to give them more access to all of those services and amenities that we can provide as a school division,” explained Morrison.
The deal means increased access for students to special needs teachers and specialists, including occupational therapists as well as speech and language pathologists. The four-year pilot agreement will also mean an increase in education funding coming from the federal government.
“In the past, the First Nation school would receive about $6,400 per student. I think the provincial average is about $10,000, so we’re now at parity now,” said Bear.
All federal funding for the education of WDFN students will go to Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS), then funding will flow through to Whitecap. The entities have also agreed that federal funding received will be retained for Whitecap students and SPS taxpayers will not have to subsidize the operation of Whitecap Dakota Elementary School.
Another part of the agreement is the First Nation will maintain jurisdiction over on-reserve education and will continue to focus not only on the basics but culture as well.
“We’re going to be maintaining the culture and language programming here in our school but also through our partnership we talk about how especially once the Stonebridge school is developed how there will be some Dakota language programming for the Grade 5 to 8 going to that school and then we still have to work with the high school system,” explained Bear.
Whitecap Dakota Elementary School currently offers classes from pre-kindergarten to Grade 4, a total of 61 students this year.
Those in Grade 5 and higher, some 73 Whitecap students are brought to Saskatoon for the the remainder of their educational career. It’s anticipated this agreement will help make that transition a little easier on students.
Up until this school year, on-reserve schooling went straight through to Grade 6 but after consultation with the community that age was lowered.
“The parents in the community thought it would be an easier transition for those young people to get into the city and into those schools, make friends and access those facilities at a younger age so we’re hoping that will help smooth those transitions but transitions for young people are always difficult,” said Morrison.
Saskatchewan Education Minister Don Morgan, who was on hand at Friday’s announcement, said he endorses this agreement and that it’s a model the government would like to see used across the province.
“I actually know of some First Nations that have partnerships with school divisions and actually have seats on their boards so it’s possible, it’s a model and certainly if others are interested in it, we’d be prepared to share it,” added Bear.
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