The Rainy River District School Board is asking the province to reconsider how it funds native education programs.The Ministry of Education now requires at least twelve students to a program, up from eight.
The board's Aboriginal Education Leader, Brent Tookenay, says despite a large number of native students here, the Ministry doesn't count many of them toward the funding.
"With seven First Nations communities within the Rainy River District School Board, many of the board's pupils are considered non-resident pupils for funding purposes," says Tookenay, "and not recognized for the numbers to reach this funding benchmark.
Tookenay says the policy seems more beneficial to southern Ontario boards where there's a high number of urban-native students.
