Alex Usher summarizes and comments on the the final report (108 page PDF) from the Task Force on Northern Post-Secondary Education released six weeks ago. The task force "was mandated to look at ways to improve post-secondary education in northern Canada." The problems are legion, as prospective student face high costs, little to no bandwidth, a legacy of residential schooling and ongoing intergenerational traumas, overcrowding, and more. Much more (the barriers to success are summarized on pages 13 to 21). The calls to action include "recognition and use of Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being," "local delivery and access," "wrap-around support," "equitable access," and more. Usher complains, "what is missing from the report is any kind of analysis of a) what education in the North already costs, b) what any new investments to address the many obvious areas of priority need might cost or c) – and this is the big one – how various institutions in different parts of the North might work together to lower costs." Perhaps - but I think it's a bit of an ask to find ways to spend less on a system that is already seriously underfunded.
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