PV staff
“The time is now!” That’s the line from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFS-O), who says that students and the student movement cannot afford to sit on the sidelines during this provincial election.
The organization notes that students are “juggling lectures, assignments, deadlines, and a million other things while trying to make ends meet.” As the cost of living continues to skyrocket and the housing crisis deepens, many students are also struggling with food insecurity.
CFS-O’s message to students is, “It might feel like the upcoming provincial election is the last thing on your mind, but the truth is: this election matters more than you might think.”
Many of the issues which affect students directly are provincial government jurisdiction. These include tuition fees, funding for post-secondary education, and even policies that limit students’ ability to organize on campus.
“Over the years, the provincial government has cut funding for post-secondary education while pushing students further into debt and making it harder for students to access quality education,” says the CFS-O. “This means that this election is our chance to elect a government that will prioritize students. The leaders we elect will be responsible for making decisions that will impact our future.”
The organization is rallying students around four main issues: free education, protecting students’ right to organize, fairness for international students; and reform of OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) so that it provides grants instead of loans, on the basis of student need.
“Students in Ontario pay some of the highest tuition fees in the country. Students shouldn’t carry that burden. Education is a right, and all students should have access to high-quality education, regardless of their status or level of study.
“Student organizing is powerful and essential. Students’ groups and unions provide vital services that address gaps left behind by the administration or government. Essential services such as food centres, centres for sexual violence and wellness, transit passes, and much more. Students need legislation to protect their rights; not policies that undermine their autonomy.
“International students contribute so much to the economy, and yet they are exploited through tuition fees that are 3-5 times higher than what domestic students pay. On top of that, they are denied access to provincial healthcare services like OHIP. This isn’t just unfair – it is unethical. We need a government that will stop exploiting International students, and prioritize all students.
“Since 2018, OSAP funding has been slashed, leaving many students without the support they need. The current system traps students in debt, and the repayment terms are unrealistic. We need OSAP to be needs-based, with grants instead of loans, and a debt-free future for all students. Education should not come with a lifelong financial burden.”
Slim pickings among mainstream parties
The CFS-O is encouraging students to turn out in strong numbers and vote for candidates who stand for accessible, affordable and democratic post-secondary education. They may have their work cut out for them, though, as the mainstream parties are offering fairly limited reforms in their platforms.
The Liberal Party of Ontario says it will maintain OSAP’s loan structure, promising only to eliminate interest on loans and raise the income threshold for repayment to $50,000. The Liberals continue the xenophobic narrative about international students, saying they will cap international student enrollment at 10 percent for each Ontario college and university. While committing to “fund colleges and universities fairly to help them avoid being heavily dependent on international student enrollment,” the party avoids defining what it deems to be “fair.”
Surprisingly, the Ontario NDP doesn’t mention post-secondary education at all among its campaign policies on its website, except in its “Southwest Platform” which commits to funding the post-secondary innovation and tech sector in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
The Green Party of Ontario acknowledges that students are struggling to get by and promises to reverse Ford’s cuts to OSAP by converting loans to grants for low- and middle-income students and eliminating interest charges on student debt. It also pledges to increase per-student funding for colleges and universities by 20 percent and to replace Ford’s performance-based university funding model with “the more stable and equitable enrolment-based funding model.”
Based on their websites, none of these parties calls for the CFS-O’s priorities of free tuition, protection of students’ rights to organize, or fairness for international students.
Voting Communist the best option
The best option for students in Ontario is the Communist Party of Canada (Ontario), whose seven candidates are campaigning hard for a comprehensive set of reforms that will truly put students’ needs first.
The Communist Party’s “People’s Alternative” platform calls for tuition fees to be eliminated and for student debt to be canceled. It also proposes that the government should provide a living stipend to all post-secondary students. To address underfunding and the privatization of funding, the platform calls for increased funding to public post-secondary education, an end to corporate funding and privatization, and a stop to all credit-recognition schemes for corporate training programs. The Communist Party also calls for expanded Indigenous and French-language education throughout the public education system, including at the post-secondary level.
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