PC 033 003_04

[Transcript]

RECEIVED OCT 21 1987

CAUT protests funding cap for native students

By Alexandre Lambert
Bulletin special contributor

Federal government restrictions on the Post-Secondary Education Assistance Program (PSEAP) for Canadian Indians and Inuit have been condemned by the CAUT Council.

In a motion passed unanimously at its meeting in September, the CAUT said it deplored the government's decision to cap the funding for native students at Canadian universities and it called on Indian Affairs Minister Bill McKnight to rescind the decision.

In a letter to Mr. McKnight, CAUT President John Evans called the funding cap “a betrayal of the federal government's commitment to native students. Prof. Evans noted the irony in the issue arising “just at the moment when the South African government has made its cynical offer to educate Canadian native students."

The PSEAP has provided full financial assistance to registered Native post-secondary students since its inception in 1973. Until the 1986/87 fiscal year, all Registered Indian and Inuit students accepted into a post-secondary institution, or post-secondary preparation program, were eligible for assistance. During 1986, a cap was put on the program's budget. Thereby limiting the number of students who could benefit from it, and in May 1987, further restrictions to eligibility were announced.

Government involvement in higher education funding for native people dates back to 1972 when the National Indian Brotherhood presented a policy paper, entitled Indian Control of Indian Education, to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. In 1973, the Minister approved the paper's proposals and committed the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) to carrying them out. Regarding post-secondary education, the paper says:

Considering the great need there is for professional people in Indian communities, every effort should be made to encourage and assist Indian students to succeed in post-secondary studies... Assistance should take the form of generous federal financial support... Those who have the motivation and talent to do post-graduate studies, should receive total financial assistance... each request for financial assistance 10 post-secondary or post-graduate studies should be judged on its own merits, and not by general administrative directives.

By the early 70’s, when it became evident that the number of potential students was growing. DIAND drew up guidelines for the PSEAP. The guidelines, known as the

See CAUT PROTESTS/5

[Illustration] Students at U. of Regina: funding cap threatens to keep qualified students out of system. Photo University of Regina

CAUT
ACPU
October/octobre 1987
Vol. 34, No. 8
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES PROFESSEURS D'UNIVERSITÉ
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