Collecting Pupil Information in the Public Schools of Manitoba

2008-2009 Aboriginal Identity Declaration Form ( 34 KB)

Please Note: The following information on Aboriginal Identity Declaration is currently being revised to reflect changes for the 2008-2009 school year. Once these changes occur, a icon wil appear on this page.

Schools in Manitoba require accurate information about pupils. Personal information is collected from parents about each child that attends a public school in Manitoba. A pupil file is a record or a collection of records respecting a pupil’s personal information, attendance, academic achievement and other related matters.

The information in pupil files is very important for planning and recording achievement. It is used to plan programs for individual students and record a student’s educational progress through the Kindergarten to Grade 12 public school system.

School boards are responsible for all matters respecting the collection, storage, retrieval and use of information respecting pupils. Access to pupil files and the protection of pupil file information is governed by The Public Schools Act (PSA), the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and The Personal Health Information Act (PHIA). A person requesting access to a record must make application to the access and privacy coordinator of the school division.

Aboriginal Identity Field

The Aboriginal Identity Field (AIF) collects information about the ancestral/cultural background of Aboriginal students. The purpose of this information is to assist schools, school divisions and the Department of Education, Citizenship and Youth (ECY) plan programs to improve student success.

The following Question and Answer section is designed to assist parents/guardians and school administrators understand the AIF. These questions are based on initial dialogue with parents and administrators across Manitoba.  As new questions are identified, this list will be updated. Should you have concerns or additional questions about the AIF, please contact aedinfo@gov.mb.ca. You may also call 204-945-7886 or toll free in Manitoba at 1-800-282-8069 Ext. 7886.

Questions and Answers for Parents

1. What is the Aboriginal Identity Field?
   The Aboriginal Identity Field (AIF) is used to collect information based on ancestral/cultural identity associated with Aboriginal people in Manitoba. The field does not collect information about the individual using the legal definition (such as First Nations, Metis, or Inuit). However, as many of the legal definitions relate to the language spoken, they may seem to overlap. As an example, though one may be Metis by legal definition, the language (or languages) spoken may be one of the Michif dialects used in the province.

2. Why is this data being collected?
   The provincial government understands the importance of noting and tracking the success of Aboriginal students. Monitoring grades, academic performance, graduation/dropout rates and student transfer rates will help schools, school divisions and government to improve Aboriginal education. That is the main reason parents/guardians are asked to voluntarily declare when registering their child in Manitoba schools.

3. Doesn’t Statistics Canada collect this information? If so, why do we have to fill out the form?
   Statistics Canada collects information about Aboriginal Identity based on the Legal Definition of Aboriginal people as identified in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
   
   Statistics Canada does collect information on some Aboriginal languages spoken in the household but it does not typically collect the language and cultural elements. Statistics Canada gathers this information primarily through the census every 5 years. Census data does not provide the level of detail required nor does it provide the data on a yearly basis. The data collected through the AIF represents a more complete picture and it is updated yearly.

4. My child is Metis, which box do I check?
   Depending on what is applicable for you, you may check up to three identity boxes. The Manitoba Metis Federation has requested that all children who are Metis check the Metis (Michif) box and any language that may be used in the family.

5. My children are Treaty, which boxes do I check?
   You would check the box (or boxes) most closely related to your family, such as Anishinaabe or Cree as examples.

6. I’m a First Nation member and my wife is Metis, which box do we check?
   For all families which have multiple ancestral/cultural elements, choose those that make the most sense. You can check up to three, so check the three most relevant to your family. In this case, you would likely check Metis and up to two of the other Aboriginal identifiers.

7. I know I’m Aboriginal but I don’t speak any Aboriginal languages. Do I still check any boxes?
   If you are unsure what language your family may have spoken in the past, you can check the Aboriginal Other category.

8. My child is adopted and Aboriginal while his family is not Aboriginal, what box do I check?
   You may check the box most appropriate for your child. If you do not know the linguistic/cultural background and you still want to declare your child’s ancestry, you can do so by using the Aboriginal Other field.

9. I moved to Manitoba from Alberta, and my language isn’t listed in the list. What box do I check?
   As the list of languages spoken by Aboriginal people in North America is quite large, the AIF uses the majority of the languages spoken in Manitoba. If your language is not listed, please check the box labeled Aboriginal Other (and indicate if known, the language(s) spoken). In future versions of the AIF, these changes may be incorporated.

10. There are so many languages to choose from and my language choice is spelled differently than I remember it being spelled, is it likely the same?
    There are many different ways of spelling the major language groups. The Aboriginal Languages of Manitoba (ALM) defined the language spellings as listed on the form. As an example the word Ojibwe, can be spelled, Ojibway and Ojibwa. They can be considered the same for the purposes of the AIF. The same can be said of the Inuktituq. It can also be spelled as Inuktitut. Both are considered to be the language spoken by the Inuit people.

11. I’ve already filled this form out a couple of years ago, do I need to fill it out every year?
    No. If you know that you have filled out the form in the past for your child, you don’t need to repeat it. At times the information may need to be updated (such as new children entering the school system) or changes to the AIF field. In the first case, you will likely be given a new registration form for your child when they enter the school system. You can fill it out at this time. In the second case, if there are changes to the field that require your input, the school will include the new request in the letter it sends home to parents.

12. We’ve moved to a different school in a different school division, do I need to fill this form out again?
    If you know that you have filled out this form in the past, you likely don’t need to fill the form out again. However, some schools like to have this information available to them to help in their own planning. Talk to your school about this. If you are new to the school division, we encourage you to fill out the form for each of your children attending school.

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Questions and Answers for Administrators

The following questions and answers are based on information received from administrators about the AIF. You may wish to look at the ‘for parents’ section for more information about the AIF field.

1. As an administrator, when should I send the letter out to parents requesting this information?
   Typically, schools send the letter out to parents with the yearly registration packages. In many schools this begins in March for school beginning in September. The data can then be collected through regular EIS data collection practices. It is also recommended that with new kindergarten registrations, a letter is sent to the parents.

2. As an administrator, do I send the letter out to my Aboriginal parents only?
   No, the letter must be sent to all parents. A person’s ancestral/cultural identity should not be assumed.

3. I’ve received a blank form back from a parent, do I fill out the form for them?
   You cannot fill the information out for the parent, as this would violate their legal rights. The information can only be declared voluntarily by the parent or guardian. If you do receive a blank form, you must leave the fields blank.

4. Can I download the form letter and other information that we send to parents off the Web?
   Yes, you can download the form letter ( 842 KB). Remember that this is a form letter only that should be modified with your own letterhead.

5. I’ve had requests from parents and some associations about sharing the data we collect. Can we share this information?
   The information the school collects is protected by privacy legislation. Please contact the privacy coordinator in your school division for more information about what can be shared.

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