GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Report alleges educational neglect in Quebec
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Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: Quebec is faulted for decades of inaction on Indigenous education; US and Columbian leaders strengthen their countries’ ties on biodiversity and conservation; a program in New Zealand empowers Indigenous graduates; and the European Union adopts regulation to prevent forced labor affecting Uyghurs.
CANADA: Quebec faulted for educational neglect
Quebec's auditor general released a critical report highlighting significant shortcomings in the province's education system for Indigenous students, CBC News reported on Nov. 20.
The recently released report reveals that few school service centers in Quebec's public system have made efforts to improve the academic success of Indigenous students. It also criticizes the Education Ministry for not establishing a framework to support these initiatives.
According to Statistics Canada, 31.4 percent of Indigenous people in Quebec age 24 to 35 do not hold a diploma or certificate, compared to 9.3 percent of non-Indigenous Quebecers. Auditor General Guylaine Leclerc noted that the Education Ministry has recognized this disparity since 2005 but "has still not set any objectives or targets for the success of Indigenous students, something it has done for other groups of students among whom it has noted a gap in achievement." The gap in Quebec is wider than the national average, where 18 percent of Indigenous people in the same age group lack a diploma or certificate.
Denis Gros-Louis, head of the First Nations Education Council, pointed to systemic barriers as a significant obstacle to the success of Indigenous students. "There's a disconnect from the Ministry of Education about our realities, our needs, and the ministry is, as the report says, almost a contributor to increasing the gap among our Indigenous students compared to Quebec public system students," he said.
Gros-Louis explained that challenges arise when students transition from their communities to the public system, facing language barriers and a lack of cultural understanding from peers and school staff. "As soon as all the good work we're doing is fulfilled and our students graduate, then there are systemic barriers especially to get into post-secondary," he added.
The report highlights a lack of a comprehensive strategy for Indigenous education, insufficient services tailored to Indigenous children, inadequate teacher training on Indigenous realities, and insufficient funding dedicated to Indigenous education.
Ian Lafrenière, the minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit, acknowledged the issue as a "priority" for his office. "It's been taking up a large part of my programs. We announce a lot of money in that, but maybe it's going to take time to see the success of it," he said, without specifying the programs involved.
The auditor general also emphasized that numerous recommendations have been made over the years to address the education gap, yet successive governments have failed to implement effective measures.
COLOMBIA: US-Columbia ties strengthened
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Consular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor recently concluded a weeklong visit to Colombia, strengthening U.S.-Colombia ties through discussions and initiatives on biodiversity, Indigenous empowerment, and combating wildlife trafficking.
Accompanied by the acting U.S. ambassador to Columbia, Francisco Palmieri, they met with Colombian Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo and Acting Environment Minister Mauricio Cabrera Leal to discuss supporting Indigenous communities, bolstering climate resilience, and preserving Colombia’s biodiversity. Emphasizing the global importance of the region, they called for collaborative efforts in environmental stewardship and equity.
According to a press release from Haaland’s office, a key focus of the trip was addressing illegal wildlife trafficking, a transnational crisis threatening biodiversity and global security.
The delegation met with the Colombian National Police to strengthen cooperation against the illegal trade of protected species. Since 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Lima office has partnered with Colombia to disrupt trafficking networks tied to the United States.
Haaland also engaged with Colombian Indigenous leaders and Afro-Colombian youth, highlighting the Biden-Harris administration's Indian Youth Service Corps. This initiative offers Indigenous youth education and employment opportunities tied to conservation, fostering a workforce focused on environmental and cultural preservation.
The trip culminated in Colombia's Amazon region, where Haaland and Cantor showcased U.S. efforts to promote biodiversity conservation with local communities and businesses, aiming to create sustainable livelihoods and economic stability.
Following President Biden’s historic visit to Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, Haaland’s trip underscored the importance of international collaboration in addressing climate change, conserving biodiversity, and empowering Indigenous communities, forging a more sustainable and equitable future.
NEW ZEALAND: Empowering Indigenous graduates
Charities competed at a philanthropic pitching event featuring a program supporting Indigenous kids' transition from school to college, the National Indigenous Times reported on November 21.
Elise Djerrkura, a Yolngu woman from Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory, felt lost after finishing school. Having spent four years in Sydney at boarding school, she knew she wanted to stay in the city but didn’t know how to take the next step. That’s when she turned to Bandu, an organization supporting Indigenous youth in their transition from school to higher education and work.
"I knew I wanted to work, but I had no idea how I could find a job, so just reaching out to Bandu helped a lot," Ms. Djerrkura said, according to National Indigenous Times. "They go out of their way to help each of us to get a job and into uni. They just want to see us succeed."
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Bandu, a registered charity and social enterprise, helps young Indigenous people navigate the often daunting post-school landscape. The organization assisted Djerrkura in finding her first job in Sydney and provided ongoing support as she adapted to the workforce. They also helped her apply to universities, where she plans to study law in 2025.
"You've got that Indigenous support at school, and then Bandu is that same support for students leaving school," she said. "Because it was my first job, I struggled a bit, but they were always there to support me."
Bandu’s co-founders, Aidan Porter and Edward Morgan, created the program after seeing the obstacles Indigenous students face when transitioning from school. "Without this support, students stop pursuing tertiary education and employment," Morgan said, according to the National Indigenous Times. "It’s not a lack of motivation or ambition, it’s uncertainty about what to do and how to do it."
Bandu provides what Morgan calls "wraparound care" to guide families and students through the process. "It’s absolutely crucial that someone is there to bounce ideas off," he added.
On Thursday, Morgan and Porter will pitch Bandu to the 10x10 Philanthropy in Sydney, aiming to secure funding and raise awareness. "We need financial support, but more than that, we want to share the stories of our students who are paving the way in their families and communities," Morgan said, according to the National Indigenous Times.
CHINA: EU fighting forced labor
The European Union has passed regulations prohibiting the sale of products made with forced labor, a step that activists believe could help address the abusive practices affecting Uyghurs in Xinjiang, as well as those occurring in North Korea and other countries around the world, Radio Free Asia reported on Nov. 21.
The European Union officially approved the Forced Labor Regulation on Tuesday, marking the culmination of a four-year decision-making process. According to the EU, approximately 27.6 million people worldwide are subjected to forced labor, with most cases occurring in private industries and some imposed by governments.
The new regulation mandates that all EU members ban the sale of products or components made – entirely or partially – through forced labor. “It will target perverse incentives enabling companies to benefit from forced labor in their supply chains,” the EU stated, according to Radio Free Asia. However, effective enforcement will require member nations to significantly expand their capacity to investigate and ban such products, Human Rights Watch noted.
The regulation was first proposed in 2020, coinciding with the EU’s negotiations on an investment agreement with China. According to Radio Free Asia: “The European Parliament decided there was no way it would approve such an agreement as long as the EU didn’t address forced labor in the Uyghur region,” said Helene de Rengerve, a senior advocate at Human Rights Watch. In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the creation of a targeted instrument, leading to this week’s approval.
Implementation of the regulation will not begin until 2028. Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, called the decision “a big win for human rights activists.” Although not country-specific, she emphasized that the rule largely responds to forced labor in the Uyghur region. Wang acknowledged the EU’s regulation is weaker than the U.S.’s Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which presumes forced labor for Xinjiang products unless proven otherwise. “Under the UFLPA, companies must demonstrate no links to forced labor, whereas the EU does not make this presumption,” she explained.
Despite these differences, Wang described the EU’s step as significant. “The first priority is acknowledging regions at the highest risk of forced labor. Without this acknowledgment, monitoring and enforcement become challenging,” she said.
China continues to reject allegations of human rights abuses as interference in its domestic affairs. Nonetheless, Beijing faces growing international criticism for its policies toward Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslim minorities.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Quebec, where the shocking gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples – in education access, outcomes and attainment – is a failure of systemic equity. That speaks to decades of abandonment and a failure to seize opportunities, especially with so many Indigenous youth age 24 to 35 (31.4 percent) still lacking a diploma or certificate compared with only 9.3 percent of their non-Indigenous counterparts.
That inequity is not just a wasted opportunity for Indigenous communities but has also made the province weaker overall by limiting social and economic progress.
To address this will take decisive joint effort by both the provincial government and Indigenous leaders, educators and people. They will need to come together to create, and implement an all-encompassing strategy that will work toward closing the education gap. Such a plan would feature clear targets, quantifiable outcomes and procedures of accountability so that progress is both steady and visible.
Indigenous students are part of a cultural reality that education systems must recognize. The curricula will need to represent their histories, languages and traditions in ways that make these students feel both reflected as well as valued. Training educators with respect to Indigenous realities will make them even better capable of providing culturally sensitive and effective assistance and understanding among peers and staff.
More investment is needed in education, especially for programs that provide targeted support services, language instruction, and mentorship. Resources for educational quality should be equitably funded, enabling schools serving Indigenous peoples to deliver a quality education. It will also facilitate pathways by eliminating systemic barriers to post-secondary education, including access to scholarships and a streamlined process for entering programs.
Support and scale up self-determined Indigenous education initiatives. Such programs become instrumental in connecting indigenous knowledge with contemporary pedagogical standards, providing students the avenue to excel as both their cultural selves and as successful members of the greater academic community. Not only does bolstering these initiatives benefit Indigenous communities, it strengthens the education system at large.
Quebec can no longer afford to sustain this injustice. Our equitable education is a right not a privilege, and addressing these disparities will reinforce the province's social fabric. If we want a future in which students of all backgrounds can thrive and become productive members of a more equitable society, we must take bold, inclusive action now.
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