Reciprocal education approach

Overview

The Reciprocal Education Approach (REA) was designed to improve access to education for First Nation students by eliminating the need for First Nations and school boards to negotiate and enter into an agreement for the base tuition fee.

When requirements and eligibility criteria are met, the REA requires that school boards:

• admit First Nation students who ordinarily reside on-reserve, to a school of the school board
• provide funding support for students who would ordinarily be eligible to be pupils of the board to attend a First Nation school

The REA sets out a reciprocal base fee that school boards must pay or charge First Nation entities that participate in the REA, which depends on where the student attends school.

School boards and First Nation entities may enter into agreements for additional services and supports in addition to the base fee.

This approach was developed in partnership with First Nations and school boards, and came into effect on September 1, 2019.

Reciprocal Education Approach (REA) Instructions for First Nations and school boards

Find information and guidelines about the Reciprocal Education Approach (REA) can be found at the link below, including details about:

• written notice
• First Nation entity eligibility
• student eligibility
• school eligibility
• admission of a student under REA
• payment and fees
• negotiation of additional services and supports (for example, special education, transportation)

This guide is intended for use by First Nations, school board officials and school administrators

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Written notice

For school board obligations to be initiated under the REA, First Nations and students must:

• meet certain eligibility criteria
• submit written notice for each student to the school of the school board the student intends to register at or is currently registered at

You can find student and school eligibility criteria in the REA Instructions for First Nations and School Boards. Written notice is the mandatory information that must be provided by the First Nation entity and the parent, guardian, student or another authorized person to the school of a school board to initiate the REA process. Written notice is delivered to the school of a board where the student is already registered or intends to register for the purposes of REA.

Here are examples of templates to help you with the written notice process:

• written notice for eligible students to attend an eligible First Nation school
• written notice for eligible students to attend a school of a school board

Read the REA Instructions for First Nations and School Boards for further details.

Information for parents and guardians

Executive summary

Access the parent, guardian and student fact sheet for a step-by-step guide to the REA.

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Eligible schools

Below are the First Nation schools that are eligible to receive funding for students attending their schools through the REA.

If a First Nation school is not listed below and wishes to participate in the REA, the school is required to provide documentation demonstrating that it:

• is governed by an eligible entity
• does not charge tuition to students, parents or guardians

Schools must provide documentation by October 30 of a given school year to be eligible to receive funding under the REA for that school year and subsequent school years.

Read the REA Instructions for First Nations and School Boards for further details.

Existing agreements

Existing agreements can remain in effect until the agreement expires or the agreement is terminated. Existing agreements are Education Services Agreements (ESAs) or Reverse Education Services Agreements (RESAs) that were entered into before September 1, 2019, and have not expired or been terminated.

All existing  RESAs are subject to the condition that the base fee that is paid to the First Nation entity must be at least the fee calculated in accordance with the reciprocal base fee formula set out in regulation.

Any existing ESAs will be subject to the condition that the fee in the annual fees regulation applies, for example, the fee set out in Table 1 and 2 of O. Reg. 349/24 (calculation of fees for pupils for the 2024-25 school board fiscal year).