So every child in existence has a right to a high-quality education, so that they can have good cognitive health and build a good future for themselves, their families, their communities, and the world. A good quality education is a basic, fundamental human right that every child, teenager, and person equally holds. 

In order to give children their right to education, simply giving them schools is not enough. The schools need to be good quality schools that offer learning environments that support children to thrive. 

There are many items a school needs in order to teach their children well. Schools need textbooks and library books. All kinds of different stationery. Computers to teach children computer literacy. Printers and ink and paper to print worksheets, information packages, and tests. Glassware, equipment, and reagents for science labs. Whiteboards (or chalkboards) with markers (or chalk). Projectors. Sports equipment. All kinds of art supplies. Musical instruments. Books for the classroom and to read out loud. Base ten blocks, geometrical shapes, and other tools to learn math with. Equipment to do science experiments in class. Calendars and clocks to learn about time. Calculators. Geometry sets. First aid kits and AEDs. Fire extinguishers. Smoke detectors. The list goes on and on and on. 

Schools also need physical infrastructure in order to create a good learning environment. They need well-insulated walls, as well as heating for the cold Canadian winters and air conditioning for the increasingly dangerous summers. This is necessary to create a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment where students can focus on their learning. There needs to be sanitary and hygienic washrooms so that the school isn't spreading disease and the children have dignity. There needs to be good ventilation systems so that the children are safe and healthy. 

There are many compartments that schools need. There needs to be a library in the school so that children can discover and nurture a love of reading, learn, and use their imaginations to become lifelong learners. There needs to be a gym so that children can learn about and do sports and exercise, keeping their bodies healthy and learning how to do so in the future. For schools with younger students there needs to be a field for the children to play and get their energy out so that they can focus and learn. For schools with older students there needs to be at least one science lab so they can learn how to do higher level experiments. There should be an adequate number of therapy rooms for children to get therapy if they need it, so that they can be in a good mental state and have the energy and focus for learning. There needs to be enough sensory rooms for neurodivergent children or any children to calm down if they need to. Nurse rooms for children needing serious first aid. Etcetera. 

There needs to be enough funding for school staff as well. There needs to be enough teachers for the students. There should be at least one teacher for every twenty students, ideally there should be two. There should be educational assistants to help children who are neurodivergent or struggling. There should be enough janitors to keep the school hygienic and sanitary. There should be enough school counsellors and therapists to help kids going through tough times so that they have more energy and mental stability and can learn better. Nurses to deal with serious medical issues that might unexpectedly arise. Lunch supervisors for younger grades. The list goes on. 

There also needs to be enough funding for other things, such as field trips, clubs, after school events, sports teams, and stuff like that. Field trips are necessary to help children learn more about the world and get excited in their learning. Clubs and sports teams help children explore their interests and develop different skill sets. School events build school spirit and bring the community together. 

As you can see, all of these things need money. A school can be run by the nicest people who are trying their very best and going above and beyond every day. However, if the school lacks funding, no amount of hard work on the part of the teachers can make up for that lack of funding. And without funding, children don't get a high quality education that is adequate and lets them learn and grow to their full potential. 

Many First Nations people live on reserves. Schools on reserves are funded by the federal government rather than the provincial governments, and get much less funding per student than schools off reserve do. This means that schools on reserve cannot deliver an equal quality of education compared to schools off reserve, which is a great injustice. 

Not only that, but very many on reserve schools don't get nearly enough funding and therefore cannot give a decent quality of education to their students. They can't provide a safe, comfortable, and appropriate learning environment for students. The system is setting these kids up to fail. 

Schools on reserves, which primarily serve First Nations children, also have more needs than schools off reserve do. Because of historical and contemporary racism, discrimination, and genocide, there is a lot more mental illness and poverty in First Nations communities. That means that a lot of children don't have enough nutritious food at home, they can't afford school supplies, and they don't have parents who can help them with their homework (due to conflicting work schedules, mental illness, the parents not having adequate education themselves, etc). There are also many more children with physical and mental health issues that need to be accommodated for in school. This means that schools on reserves actually need more funding per student than schools off reserve do, in order to give an equal education to their students, but they're getting less funding instead 

On top of that, schools on reserves also need to teach children the languages and cultures of their communities. Something that they cannot do without funding.