about aes

The Anishinabek Education System

The Participating First Nations (PFN) under the Anishinabek Education System (AES) will enact education laws that govern the AES and the delivery of programs and services.

Under the Anishinabek Education System, Participating First Nations are:

  • Promoting Anishinaabe culture and language;
  • Implementing programs and services to improve student retention rates, academic achievement and well-being;
  • Establishing and maintaining system-wide education standards that support the transfer of Anishinabek students between the Anishinabek Education System schools and the provincial education system schools; and
  • A system of accountability to First Nation members.

The Anishinabek Education System will have secure and predictable funding from the Government of Canada under a new education funding agreement. The Participating First Nations will have funding to:

  • Continue to operate schools on-reserve;
  • Continue the tuition agreements with local school boards;
  • Support student-focussed educational programs and services that incorporate Anishinaabe culture, language, history, knowledge and values;
  • Continue to provide funding support for Anishinabek students to get university degrees, college diplomas, or trades certificates and licenses;
  • Address special education needs;
  • Set-up and operate the Anishinabek Education System; and
  • Develop curriculum and educational resources for the Anishinabek Education System; among other things.

In addition, the Participating First Nations will not lose out on future federal investments in First Nation education.  There is a process to review future federal funding investments in First Nation education and include any new money as part of our education funding agreement.

Anishinabek First Nations can top-up education funds from their own revenues without affecting their federal funding for education. The federal government funding for education will not be reduced because a First Nation tops-up their education funding.

Who is included?

  •  23 Anishinabek First Nations in Ontario
  • Approximately 25,000 Anishinabek members
  • Approximately 2,000 students on-reserve from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12

The Anishinabek Nation

For more than 20 years, the Anishinabek Nation and its member communities have worked to establish the Anishinabek Education System (AES). The Anishinabek Education System is based on the Anishinabek First Nations’ inherent jurisdiction over on-reserve education.

The Agreement with Canada provides reliable funding to operate the stand-alone education system parallel to its federal and provincial counterparts, and to have full control over allocating education funding. The funding allows for the delivery of educational programs and services for students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. In addition, funding support for post-secondary is included.