Quebec’s Education Ministry has done little to promote the academic success of Indigenous students; there is a lack of funding and no guiding strategy for schools, according to the auditor general’s latest report.
The gap in success rates of Indigenous students was first flagged 20 years ago, and since then the ministry has done “little to help them succeed,” said the report published Wednesday. It identified systemic barriers like a lack of linguistic support and culturally relevant learning environments.
Many Indigenous students start their education in their own communities and later change into Quebec’s education system. According to the auditor general, of 31 First Nations communities (other than Cree and Naskapi), 23 have a school, and secondary education isn’t fully offered in eight of them.
But the students aren’t properly supported during the transition, said the 57-page report.
“Indigenous students do not receive sufficient support, nor is it adapted to …