Recent polls show that youth and students are simply not voting at the same level as older generations—and this election will likely be no different. These statistics make post-secondary education less of a priority for Canadian leaders, even though Ottawa has been involved in building our universities and colleges for decades. The results of this election will have an impact on what direction our schools will take in the future.
In the past, we’ve seen the federal government show real leadership on difficult issues ranging from health plans to child care. With this in mind, students have called for federal standards of post-secondary education and a pan-Canadian guarantee of affordability. Such an agreement would require the ten provinces, stakeholders, and institutions to agree on what kind of education we deserve. It’s important for students to know what their political candidates are offering them.
Both the New Democrats and the Liberals have unveiled plans to increase student aid and grants. The Liberals want to fund under-represented groups, but they’re open to the possibility of running the money through non-government administered systems. After considerable pressure from students, the Conservatives created Canada’s first national student grant system, but they’re not offering anything new in this election—rejecting the notion of national standards and stable federal funding. The Tory version of Canadian post-secondary education is run as a business, susceptible to the forces of the market.
The New Democrats offer something unique: a promise to introduce a Post-Secondary Education Act. The Act would establish stable funding for institutions, implement national standards on affordability, and ensure universal access to public education. The Green Party has said that they support initiatives to increase affordability, but their platform is light on addressing student concerns or specific programs. Their “Vision Green” policy document focuses on alleviating debt after graduation, but their plan doesn’t ensure students’ ability to enter the system in the first place.
In an election where major concerns—a rapidly deteriorating economy, environmental sustainability—are (understandably) at the fore, students need to investigate where their candidates stand on the issues that matter to us. Are we satisfied with a post-secondary education system that relies on user fees and corporate involvement to maintain itself, or do we want a system that is a public investment? We need to push Stéphane, Elizabeth, Jack, and Stephen to stand up for students in the years to come.
Dave Scrivener is Vice President External for the University of Toronto Student Union
