Student groups rejecting government deal
The tentative deal reached on the weekend between the government and the heads of the main student groups is falling down as it fails to receive the approval of many student groups. The FEUQ is now asking for changes and clarifications in the document.
There’s been some outcry at the force and methods used by police against students at some demonstrations and some doubt cast on how things went toward the end of the negotiations.
Kevin 05:37 on 2012/05/08 Permalink
Lots of good articles in La Presse this morning; it almost looks like a special section on all aspects of education.
Interesting article on page A8 showing that Quebec has always had less participation than Ontario. But that in the 90s, as Quebec had a tuition freeze and Mike Harris hiked rates, the number of Quebecers getting degrees dropped.
Rate of attendance for francophones is still 6% lower than for Anglos and allos
Kate 09:46 on 2012/05/08 Permalink
You say that like you expect it to be challenged. I’m not surprised it’s true, it’s probably ascribable to the lingering effects of the Catholic church on the Quebec psyche, but that’s not something we’re going to get any objective studies on.
C_Erb 10:14 on 2012/05/08 Permalink
A lot of it has to do with the fact that many students can go to CEGEP for free and get by quite easily with that degree. Outside of Quebec, many of those students opt for university instead of college.
Kevin 14:09 on 2012/05/08 Permalink
@Kate,
Naw, I just like repeatedly pointing out that the cost of education has nothing to do with how many people decide to get an education, since thousands of protesters are convinced of the opposite.
Kate 21:19 on 2012/05/08 Permalink
Kevin, surely education could be priced out of the reach of a lot of people, so I think it’s a misstatement to say the cost of education has “nothing to do” with how many people choose to pursue it.
I was struck today by this Globe & Mail piece about how young adults do have higher expenses than the boomer kids did.
Kevin 07:37 on 2012/05/09 Permalink
@Kate,
Oh sure, make it $40,000 and only the super-rich or those truly dedicated will go.
But that’s not what’s going on here. We’re talking about raising tuition to slightly less than the Canadian average.
Or at least we were. Now it seems to have become a political streetfight on the role of education in society.
As for Rob Carrick, he ignores people who had to pay down debt with 18% interest rates :/ And people who graduated in the 90s to an economy in the toilet.