Student group grades parties on education

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/09/2011 (5120 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THERE are tens of thousands of postsecondary voters to be wooed — and not much wooing going on.

The Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students issued a report card Tuesday for three of the political parties — aren’t students supposed to be open to the Greens? — and wasn’t impressed by postsecondary promises.

The NDP got a B-minus, the Liberals a C, and the Conservatives an F.

CFS, which tends to be further out on the left than even the most radical NDP candidate, has long favoured reducing university and college tuition with the goal of eliminating tuition completely. The report card points out there’s not much seen so far in the Oct. 4 election campaign that would reduce the surcharges on international students, protect students in residence under the Residential Tenancies Act, or improve the lot of graduate students.

Parties have various schemes for tax credits and rebates to relieve student debt, but not enough up-front grants that would improve accessibility for students who don’t have the money in hand on the first day of classes.

All three parties would hold tuition to the level of inflation, though none has addressed what it would do if professional schools ask for an exemption, as has happened in recent years when some professional faculties sought and occasionally received double- or triple-digit increases in fees.

Only the NDP has committed to specific increases in operating grants — three-year funding commitments, with annual increases of five per cent in the current batch. The NDP has promised to lower the interest rates on student debt, allow students to own a vehicle and earn more money without affecting their loans, the CFS pointed out, but “such commitments should be accompanied by measures to cut student debt in the first place.”

The Liberals would exempt schools from payroll tax, the CFS said. The Grits would provide unspecified grants toward tuition for students as young as elementary school through to current postsecondary students, based on marks whose level the party has not detailed.

Both the New Democrats and Liberals have shown promising progress on improving access to universities and colleges for aboriginal students, said the CFS.

The Tories have had little to say on any part of postsecondary funding which matters to CFS, and have not announced plans to cut or remove student debt, CFS said.

Said CFS Manitoba chair Marakary Bayo, “We are disappointed that none of the major parties has a clear plan to create affordable and accessible education by freezing tuition, providing up-front grants to students, and increasing funding to universities and colleges.”

The CFS did not mention it, but none of the parties has said anything about the four faith-based private institutions in Manitoba, which receive some public money.

Nor did CFS touch on capital funding. There has been enormous growth in campuses in recent years, but the schools want more, more, and then some more. University of Manitoba is about to develop the former Southwood golf course. University of Winnipeg wants a physics building. Red River College looks covetously at the Public Safety Building. Both the University College of the North and Assiniboine Community College have additional expansion and renovation phases bearing eight-figure price tags.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca