Social engineering… another step away from a merits based society. Education should be affordable for all and not based on race, religion, or creed. We should all be born equal with equal opportunity.

It is very clear to see at the local level at CNC. Organizations that are given money to encourage “thier people” to attend post secondary education spend that money at all costs regardless of the students desire or qualification to attend a course or program. It is clear when they spend as much of thier sponsor money on things such as clothes, backpacks, junk food, etc. It indicates they are not too serious about thier studies. I still think if this money is to be made available for select groups to send people to post secondary, those people they send should first have to have the necessary qualifications for that course and to show a more than passing interest to succeed. Just like anyone who attends post secondary schooling.

Amazing! My daughter, a single parent, put herself through university to become a teacher on student loans. Six years!!!! Now she is working west of PG in a small community and is saddled with $60g in student loans…. She is not aboriginal so no special treatment for her…. Hardly seems like a logical, reasonable or fair situation.

How silly, who in their right mind would be studying to be a teacher these days?? It’s like encouraging them to become professional burger flippers!!

Aboriginal students should persue legal degrees and have real careers, making real money, and getting some respect for a change.

I don’t see anywhere in the article that taxpayers money is being used ,so what’s the problem. It also does not suggest that the money will be given any to anyone that asks.Yes I realize that we are paying for the schools.

What is wrong with giving these students a hand up so the won’t be sticking their hands out later.
How many of you can say that you don’t stereotype Native youth when you see them.

Well they can lower the pass grade standards and entrance qualifications just like they do for everything else.
I wonder if a non native can get into one of their special programs? If not why not?

“Aboriginal students should persue legal degrees and have real careers, making real money, and getting some respect for a change.”

So what you are saying is that legal degrees will get you a real career? LOL

“How silly, who in their right mind would be studying to be a teacher these days?? It’s like encouraging them to become professional burger flippers!!”

Obsolutely right. For the countless hours they put in teachers get paid less than minimum wage.

Make them pay there own Way, our Children did

You mean “their” way, not “there” way.

This spelling correction brought to you by an educated native. Thank you to Apollo Forest Products, Nak’azdli Band, and the BC Student Loan program for putting me through school.

Yes I bought a backpack, some clothes, and gasp, even some junk food here and there. You know, pretty much standard student fare. Last time I looked, my degree doesn’t say watered down as I achieved it on my own merit.

Why did I go to school? Better life, better job, and better pay. I’d like to tell you I didn’t want to be a burden to the Canadian taxpayer, but that would seem too noble. I did it for me.

If you read my post I refer to all programs that give people incentives to go to school. The failure rate is very high. The same as programs like Kopar, Transitions, etc. They are not very successful and are more a drain on resources than helpful.

You forgot the B.C. and Canadian taxpayer Howard, shame on you.

Maybe your certificate isn’t the watered down version but many are.

Boomer, just where do you think the money comes from if it isn’t from the taxpayer. Perhaps it is picked off of trees!!!

Boomer. ..yes it was tax payer money. This is already happening. I have a friend who is a teacher assistant. She took the courses required to teach abirigonal students here in PG. She was then told she couldnt because she is white. This is racism, government sponswered racism.

I don`t know…the bars already set too low for teachers around here so I would be encouraging kids aboriginal or not to spend their time and brain power on something that is a little more challenging and profitable
.

@ VMT,sorry your daughter is not of aboriginal descent (I`m sure she is still a nice person for that)and does`nt get all this special treatment,but I`m curious….where is all this special treatment you speak of???I would like to cash in…

So what is really being said here?
If they graduated a bunch of first nations teachers who actually are first nations people…would that mean the non-native teachers who are doing the job now, would unemployed?

Folks, this is a funding program. The standards for getting into a program and for completing it are not affected.

“It is clear when they spend as much of thier sponsor money on things such as clothes, backpacks, junk food, etc.”

Any evidence for the claim that aboriginal students spend disproportionately on frills? I have seen no evidence of it, and (unlike most people here, I suspect) I actually know quite a few aboriginal students at CNC.

Who said aboriginal? I said sponsered students.

“We should all be born equal with equal opportunity”

Maybe we should be, but we all know we are not. In fact, Darwin would not approve.

Well actually NoWay, the mill I worked at was off-reserve, so I had to pay my taxes and seeing I was single and no dependents then, I paid more than the white guy whose kids I subsidized as they made their (not there) way through public school on my dime. I also paid back my student load seeing it was the right thing to do.

As for my band? Well, I’m thankful for their help and for all the support they gave me. I mean why not take advantage of it? Who wouldn’t?

Did I also mention that I also received scholarships that were open to all university students, such as bursaries and the like? Really, I am a smart SOB and an excellent student.

And, there are a lot of watered down certificates, diplomas, and degrees. For you to speculate that any time an Aboriginal person goes to school that their credentials are watered down, well, that speaks more to your lack of an education and a watered down view of the world.

Reverend…

Well said Howard.

Problem is not that one person got an opportunity and made a success of themself. The problem is that all people should be able to have an opportunity to make a success of themselves. That is what free enterprise is all about… equality of opportunity… Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Redneck, or anything in between… basing opportunity on ethnicity, race, or creed is racism politically correct. I have a problem with that, and so should anyone else that believe in a meritocracy.

A man like Howard had the merits to take advantage of his opportunity… others of equal merit never do in this country. I have a cousin that is native and is a lawyer from the top law school in Canada… am I jealous, of course I am lol… but she had the smarts so she deserves credit. I’m sure there are others out there like her of many other ethnicity that never got that opportunity.

If the goal is to bring natives up then that starts at a much younger age than college, and a broader scope than simply throwing money at the situation picking winners and losers. College should be based on merit first, and financial ability last, and it should be a rule that applies equally to all IMO.

“I also paid back my student load seeing it was the right thing to do.”

A student load? Cool.
Normally I don’t pick apart posters spelling because I know I make mistakes too.

But after the comment….

“You mean “their” way, not “there” way.
This spelling correction brought to you by an educated native.”

…..I couldn’t resist.

You better go back to school.

Look around Mister Stern there is a program at CNC right now that is native only taught by a native instructor. It’s a simpler program then the one that the rest of us can take. It was discovered that 1/3 of the students didn’t have the qualifications to be there.

Not to mention when a native applies to join the RCMP they get special treatment.

“It was believed that the RCMP lowers the passing marks or the cut-off lines of their initial eligibility test in order to hire females and visible minorities. However, this is only true for First Nations persons. All Provinces, Divisions as labelled by the RCMP, offer programs for First Nation persons, where they receive one on one coaching by current members, which includes educating the applicants in the application process and aiding them in all aspects of the process so they can have an easier time succeeding. This program is not offered to any other minority. Additionally, security background checks are more laxed for those of Aboriginal decent while going through the application practise.”

Kind of scarey.