October 6, 2009 - No. 182
Quebec Students Oppose Paying the Rich
Reject Claims by Parties of the Rich
that Education
Is a Privilege! Education Is a Right!
"Education is a right not
a privilege; free education is a national priority"
• Reject
Claims
by Parties of the Rich that Education Is a Privilege! Education Is a
Right! - Parti
Marxiste-Léninist du Québec
• Vigorous Protest against Bills 38 and 44
Statements
• Association for Student Union Solidarity
(ASSÉ)
• Quebec Federation of College Students
• Quebec Federation of University Students
• National Teachers Federation of Quebec
• Student Association of Jonquière
Cégep
• Montérégie Student Associations
Quebec Students Oppose Paying the Rich
Reject Claims by Parties of the Rich that Education
Is a Privilege! Education Is a Right!
- Marxist-Leninist Party of Quebec
(PMLQ), September 30, 2009 -
The Liberal Party of Quebec at its September 27 policy
convention adopted a proposal to institute
tuition fees at the college level. This must not pass. Already, the
problem facing Premier Jean Charest is
how to get the students to accept the government's attacks at a time
workers and the
population at large have sided with the students in their fight against
cuts
to
education funding.
Since 2003, the Liberal government has used the police
to attack student occupations, demonstrations and other actions, as
well as decrees, in an attempt to suppress the student movement's just
demands for the recognition of their right to a public education free
of cost through to post-graduate studies.
The Charest government has taken one measure after another to
criminalize participation in the resolution
of the problems in education on the part of students, their parents
and personnel in education. This is what it did with its anti-worker
and anti-union laws, all passed through closure despite broad
opposition, with the aim of weakening the ability of workers and
their organizations to defend their rights.
March 16, 2005: Quebec students
demonstrate in Montreal against the cuts to education by the Charest
government.
Already, the Liberal government is pursuing its
policy of thawing the tuition freeze so that "students do their part."
In 2011, undergraduate tuition fees will amount to $2,168, an increase
of 30 percent. During the last election, Pauline Marois, leader of the
Parti
Québécois -- well-known for its role
of divesting from education in the '90s when it was in power --
proposed that tuition fees be
frozen until a "Summit for Education" is held. In other words, its
position is no different from the Liberal Party except
that it calls for a
respite of a few months prior to lifting the tuition freeze. The
tendency of the PQ to
advocate for the anti-social offensive by "consensus" goes back to the
PQ government of Lucien Bouchard when it used the occasion of an
Economic Summit to promote reaching an alleged consensus in favour
of "zero deficit" economic policies.
The uproar about the imposition of college tuition fees
must not be used to detract attention from the increasingly onerous
so-called ancillary fees. None of the parties of the
rich has proposed measures to resolve this pressing problem of fees at
colleges and universities. It is a prerogative
of deregulation which permits cégeps and universities to impose
ancillary fees on top of tuition fees with all manner of
justifications, thus using "ancillary fees" to circumvent the "freeze"
on tuition fees.
Students reject the government's forcing them to bear
the burden of its decision to underfund education. For more than 15
years, governments have underfunded education,
health care and all the social services
in a brutal anti-social offensive so as to pay the rich. This offensive
intensified with the economic crisis and the so-called budget crisis of
the Charest government and its policy of paying the monopolies.
Just like they sold off Quebec's human and natural
resources to
the monopolies, the Liberal Party of Quebec, the PQ and the ADQ are
continuing to refuse to recognize
that education is a right, not a privilege, which society must
guarantee in
practice.
The discussion which presents the cuts to education as a
matter concerning only students is false. It negates the fact that in
the
modern era, all human beings are born to society and have claims on
that society. Students, teachers and professionals are
fighting with the support of the working class
and people for the right to education to be provided with a guarantee.
With its program to demand that the state stop
paying the rich and increase investments in social programs, the
Marxist-Leninist Party of Quebec (PMLQ) is proposing a new
direction for Quebec in which education
is recognized as a right and the education system is based on this
principle which means:
1. Increase investments in education.
2. Immediately stop tuition hikes, and decrease fees until
tuition is free.
3. Transform the system of loans and bursaries into a national
scholarship program.
4. Abolish ancillary fees.
5. Impose a limit on and reduce
tuition fees for international students and
facilitate their access to employment.
It's Time to Set a New Direction for
Quebec!
Stop
Paying the Rich; Increase Funding for Social Programs!
Vigorous Protest against Bills 38 and 44
On October 1, more than 500 people
responded to the call
of the Association for Student Union Solidarity
(ASSÉ) to gather at 12:30 at Berri Square to demand the
withdrawal of Bills 38 and 44 regarding colleges and universities.
Since being tabled by Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports,
Michelle Courchesne, the bills have provoked strong opposition in the
education community as illustrated by the presence at the demonstration
of several student associations, federations and unions from colleges
and universities.
ASSÉ spokesman Christian Pepin addressed the
demonstrators, saying the bills attempt to "conceal the true crisis in
education in Quebec, that is to say, the commodification of education."
"We must remember that UQAM administration lacked
funding that's why they turned to the private sector," he added,
referring to the financial scandal
of UQAM's Îlot Voyageur project in downtown Montreal next to
Berri-UQAM metro. Remarkably, in response to the scandal Minister
Courchesne tabled Bill 38 to give the private sector a large role in
education under the hoax of improving governance of universities by
increasing the number of "independent" directors. A student holding a
placard that read: "Buy a college, call 1-800-Courchesne" told the
media that with these bills, "the private sector takes
over the management of colleges and universities and uses them for
their
own gain."
If the bill is adopted, university boards will be
composed of 60
percent so-called independent members which means that as the
Quebec Federation of University Students (FEUQ) pointed out during
consultations
on the bill, no places are reserved for students on these boards.
Many signs and slogans reflected the aspiration of
students, teachers and employees of colleges and universities to
participate in all decisions which affect them.
In front of the offices of the Ministry of Education the
representative of the Quebec Federation of University Teachers (FQPPU)
asked that the federation be informed on the overall situation in
the education
sector. "If we have an exact idea of the current state of
universities in Quebec, we can then provide a development plan that is
consistent," said Max Roberts, president of FQPPU.
In a joint statement from university
and college students distributed during the event, students expressed
their opposition
to the commodification of education, as well as
the use of performance criteria based on the economic
viability of programs of study. This threatens areas of study needed to
develop a modern society, the students point out.
For this reason, unions and associations are demanding:
- Withdrawal of Bills 38 and 44;
- That the management of institutions
of higher education be primarily the responsibility of cégeps
and universities based on the principle of collegiality;
- Recognition
of the missions of cégeps
and universities, for education, research and in service of their
responsibility to take stock of the past, present and future through
the preservation, development and transmission of knowledge;
- A
massive reinvestment in post-secondary education to ensure quality and
accessibility of education in Quebec.
College Tuition Fees: "Unacceptable!" ASSÉ Claims
- Association for Student Union
Solidarity, September 27, 2009 -
The Association for Student Union Solidarity
(ASSÉ) is outraged by the decision taken at the
Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) Convention to introduce college tuition
fees. "The direct consequence of this Liberal measure will be to hinder
access to studies," ASSÉ spokesperson Christian
Pépin declared.
"Contrary to what the QLP claims, unfreezing tuition
hinders access to studies. Proof of this is the recent unfreezing
of tuition fees at the university level which, based on a government
study, will prevent 6,000 students from being in school. Once again the
Liberal government is pursuing a harmful
user-pay logic for students by making them pay for the shifts in the
economic system that they themselves promoted," the outraged
ASSÉ spokesperson said.
ASSÉ also points out that there presently exist
what are known as "mushroom" administrative fees in Quebec, whereby
administrations are able to conceal the fact that they are collecting
fees from students. ASSÉ, determined to establish real free
schooling at the
college level in Quebec, is opposed to this type of fee.
"Setting up fees for public services is not the
solution to Quebec's present recession. Whether it be increased fees
for education or for Hydro-Québec or down the road for day
care and health care, our response remains the same: no to all fee
hikes!," Christian Pépin said. "Within the context of
the economic crisis, the less fortunate require more, not less,
access to essential services. Amongst other things, the government
should instead propose solutions to avoid tax evasion and set up a more
progressive taxation system in Quebec," he said.
College Tuition Fees: Students Want Answers
- Quebec Federation of College Students,
September 26, 2009
-
Late this afternoon, by a very slim majority, the Quebec
Liberal Party's General Council adopted a resolution aimed at imposing
college tuition fees. This state of affairs is of concern to the Quebec
Federation of College Students (FECQ), which finds it odd that such a
decision was taken
without any real
consideration.
Actually, some 50 college activists butted heads this
morning in Drummondville with Liberal delegates ill-informed about the
issues being raised at their General Council. Bent on having dialogue
with party delegates, the students distributed flyers and held
discussions with Liberal activists. Some of
them, members of the QLP's Political Committee, said they were
surprised by the proposal to institute college tuition fees, even
affirming they had not been informed of this prior to the tabling of
the proposal.
FECQ activists then presented testimony to Michelle
Courchesne, the Minister of Education, Leisure and Sports from students
who would be seriously affected by such a measure. "This morning's
action was an attempt at dialogue, to warn the Liberals not to impose
college fees. The message we sent
was that between now and 2012, 210,000 jobs will require at least
a college studies diploma and we are those 210,000 people. If the
Liberal Party thinks that it can turn the economy around without the
youth, then it had better think again," declared FECQ President Xavier
Lefebvre Boucher.
"Because of where things stand right now, we are asking
Madame Courchesne to clarify her government's position on the matter,"
Lefebvre Boucher concluded.
Premier Must Clarify General
Council's Position and Withdraw Tuition Fees from any Future Bill
- Quebec Federation of University
Students, September 27, 2009 -
The position adopted by the Quebec Liberal Party's
General Council on increasing fees is of utmost concern to the Quebec
Federation of University Students (FEUQ). The Council did not even
consider
it worthwhile to specify whether or not university tuition fees would
be excluded from any future bill increasing
fees. "FEUQ is requesting that Jean Charest, the premier and
[former Canadian] minister of State for Youth, clarify his party's
intentions and exclude tuition fees from any future bill on fees for
public services," declared FEUQ President Jean Grégoire.
The resolution adopted by the General Council indeed
requires that all fees be revised and set according to a proportion of
the real cost of the service charged for. University tuition fees,
presently in the throes of a significant hike, have not been explicitly
excluded from the deliberations on fees for
public services. Based on a study commissioned by MELS
[Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et des Sports] the
elimination of the present freeze will prevent between 6,000 and 13,000
students from gaining access to university studies.
Were the resolution to be applied to the letter it
would lead to a differentiation in tuition fees based on fields of
study, thereby placing Quebec in a precarious position regarding the
challenges of a knowledge-based society. Not only would that be an
attack on equal opportunity, access to more costly
programs such as engineering, medicine or music would be greatly
diminished for students from a less well-to-do background, thereby
reducing social mobility in Quebec. Tuition fee differentiation would
also be akin to abandoning the economic, social and cultural
development of the regions, as their universities would
find themselves penalized compared with universities in large centres
offering more lucrative programs. "FEUQ will be present in
consultations on such a bill to underline the importance of an access
to learning policy, which would include maintaining tuition fees at an
affordable level," noted Grégoire.
FEUQ also denounces the Liberal Party's
intention to impose tuition fees, however modest, at the college level.
Going ahead with such a measure will only reduce access to
post-secondary education while increasing student indebtedness. "A
post-secondary diploma is not a hunting permit!
It demonstrates Quebec society's ability to perform well in a world
where a knowledge-based economy is evermore predominant,"
Grégoire concluded.
Imposition of College Tuition Fees: An Aberration
- National Teachers Federation of Quebec,
September 27, 2009 -
The National Teachers Federation of Quebec (FNEEQ),
which includes 80 percent
of all cégep teaching staff, denounces the guidelines put
forward by the Quebec Liberal Party's General Council regarding the
imposition of tuition fees for college studies.
FNEEQ Vice-President Micheline Thibodeau reacted
strongly to the Liberal Party guidelines announced over the weekend.
Unfortunately, "the idea is not a new one," she said.
FNEEQ has always taken a position encouraging the
largest access possible to education, which implies a free, quality
education at all levels. Micheline Thibodeau noted that the
establishment of a college network contributed to a large extent to the
democratization of education and that imposing
tuition fees would jeopardize access to higher education Quebec-wide.
Furthermore, there is no ambiguity as far as FNEEQ
is concerned: "... while the needs of graduates with a DCS [Diploma of
College Studies] continue to grow, imposing tuition fees would send a
strange message that education is a luxury, rather than a fundamental
right. The user-pay principle has
no place in education," Thibodeau concluded.
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Students
Mobilize Against New
Tuition Fees
- Student Association of Jonquière
Cégep (AGEECJ), September 27, 2009 -
The General Students Association of Jonquière
Cégep (ACEECJ) had a strong response to the position adopted
by the Liberal General Council regarding the introduction of new
college tuition fees. The resolution was adopted by a very weak
majority, clearly without any real consideration.
At a press conference organized at Jonquière
cégep attended by the General Students Association of
Chicoutimi
Cégep (AGEECC) and the Student Association of Alma
College (AECA), AGEECJ President Mathieu Morin described the proposal
as an
insult to students.
"I hardly see how the proposal meets the mark regarding dropping out of
school or persisting in one's studies. The majority of jobs to be
filled between now and 2012 will be in the technical and professional
sectors. Students are expected to pursue their studies, but because
of new fees, access to post-secondary
education is further curtailed!"
Such fees, no matter how modest, most certainly limit
access to post-secondary education. "The purpose of college education
is not to form an elite!," added Morin, who promises very intensive
mobilization over the course of the week. That same consideration was
endorsed by the student
associations present at the press conference. In their opinion,
the Liberals are completely disconnected from the college reality.
AECA President Anne-Sophie Doré-Coulombe
explained the conundrum facing students: "Students will have two
choices: either to further indebt themselves or work longer hours,
which will further compromise the qualify of their learning." Dominique
Théberge, President of the AGEECC, concurred. "There's no way
that students will be able to
offset these new fees through the present student financial assistance
regime!"
As for the increase in hydroelectricity fees, Mathieu
Morin denounced the claim made by Minister Clément Gignac that
the increase will mainly affect the most wealthy. "Far from it, in the
majority of cases students have to cope with badly insulated dwellings,
which inflates their electricity bill. Furthermore,
the Liberals rejected the proposal aimed at lowering the threshold to
qualify for the low
electricity consumption rate which would have offset the
hike!" Morin concluded.
Finally, the three associations demanded that the
minister commit to not imposing any further hardships on students,
otherwise pressure tactics will be deployed.
Imposition of College Tuition Fees:
Montérégie Students in Shock
- Montérégie Student
Associations, September 27, 2009 -
Montérégie
student associations took their stand this afternoon in Longueuil,
following the adoption of a resolution at the Quebec Liberal Party's
General Council meeting aimed at imposing college tuition fees. That
new position is of great concern to student associations, who
worry such a measure will reduce access to post-secondary studies.
"The creation of cégeps was particularly geared
towards ensuring financial access to higher studies, which is why for
over 40 years cégeps have been free of charge," noted Edenilson
Castro of the National Aerotechnical School's Student Life Council
(CVE-ENA). It should also be pointed out that
the present unfreezing of university tuition fees will end up
preventing between 6,000 to 13,000 students from going to university.
"Of the 700,000 jobs to be created between now and 2012, 21,000 will
require a more specialized diploma. Now is not the time to further
reduce access to higher education!" stated
Léo Bureau-Blouin, of the Student Association of Saint-Hyacinthe
Cégep (RÉÉCSH).
"Loans and bursaries still do not meet the real needs
of students today, and now it's about imposing tuition fees on
cégeps. This is totally irresponsible on the government's
part!," stated an indignant Marie-Ève Bujold of the Student
Association of
Edouard-Montpetit Cégep (AGECEM).
The student associations present pointed to the claim of the Quebec
Student Financial Assistance Program, that a two parent family with two
children, with an annual gross income of $30,000 is able to provide for
their children's studies, an erroneous calculation which reduces
program access. "College students
are already working hard enough as it is to cover their needs, as they
often have no access to the loans and bursaries regime," stressed
Véronique Proulx of the Student Association of Sorel-Tracy
Cégep (AGEECST).
"The decision of the Liberals is a real stab in the
back for our members as such measures will mean the end of college
studies for many. The decision is unacceptable. Mr. Charest had better
explain himself very quickly," concluded the four representatives.
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