Liberal Education Plan: NOT helping me...
January 8th, 2006
I highly doubt that $6000 is going to help me go to University at all... I can expect to have about $70,000 in Student Loan debt following my graduation from University, after completing a five year program. How does knocking that debt down to $64,000 help me at all? Secondly, it breaks their promise made in the 2004 Election: "The Liberal Party's post-secondary education platform, unveiled today, ignored a key education promise made during the 2004 federal election. Prime Minister Paul Martin promised to increase transfer payments for post-secondary education by $4 billion. Until Martin addresses this core funding to universities and colleges, the Liberal plan is incomplete."
The Canadian Federation of Students Chairperson, Mr. George Soule corroborates this, when he comments: "Students are still worse off under the Liberal plan today than they were when the Liberals formed the government in 1993. By not restoring billions of dollars in core funding that was cut during the 1990s, the Liberal Party's strategy falls short."
Tuition fees are STILL on the rise, and there is nothing within the Liberal plan to freeze/reduce them. Instead, they plan to pay $6,000 to each student; which, by the way, how is this going to be done? Will I get a cheque, or will my parents get a tax credit? Probably neither, because somehow, this looks like another empty promise on the part of Paul Martin and the Liberals.
How can students, and their voting parents trust a government that stole two-hundred and fifty million dollars; a government that is being investigated by the RCMP on TWO different fiscal issues, one of which is insider trading; a government that promised to cut the GST in 1993, and twelve years later, it still exists? Look at the record: you couldn't trust them then, and you can't trust them now. If you truly belive they will follow through on a plan that falls into provincial jurisdiction, you're insane.
posted by Josh T @ 1/08/2006 03:15:00 p.m.
2 Comments:
"Until Martin addresses this core funding to universities and colleges, the Liberal plan is incomplete."
It's time to address the real issue: Post-secondary education is funded in two parts: The majority of it is funded by tax-payer dollars, and the rest of it by the students and parents of students attending the institutions. The questions is: Do you want to pay for it today or tomorrow? As an 18 year-old about to embark on my 6 year tenure of university education, I actually would rather pay for it over the next 6 years, instead of paying as a tax-payer for the university I attend to educate students decades after I have left. This is a quite small-c conservative approach. Do you want the government to give you a tax break and divert money from another essential program in the federal budget to give money to a middle-income family to send a student to school today, or do you want families who are able to afford the education to pay for it themselves? There are programs in place (and yes, I will not deny there needs to be more and they need to be improved) to help low-income students finance their education. That's not to say there aren't flaws in the system. I understand in some circumstance that students run in difficult situations and not all parents support their post-secondary pursuits. But, that's why their are provincial assistance programs in place. And they should include these circumstances.
Lowering tuition costs means lowering standards. Period. Pretty soon Durham college will become the next high school, and the Unveristy of Toronto will attract the same professors that were teaching at the local community college. Tuition costs pay for faculty and resources, which I, as a student, will not compromise. So, I am not for lowering tuition costs. I am for finding a way to ensure that every student is deserving of a higher education can go to college or university, regardless of their income. And, if I'm not mistaken, OSAP takes care of that. It's pretty small-c conservative of me to say this, but there are certain things the government doesn't need to do. The federal government is not responsible for paying for my entire education.
Actually, you are mistaken- OSAP gives funds based on parental income. Someone like myself can collect a whopping $300 from OSAP. Literally, a text book is all that OSAP will pay for. Granted, I will recieve scholarships, but again: $6,000 is not going to even begin to put a dent into my Tuition costs. I didn't say the Federal Government should be paying for education- in fact, education, and Universities fall under Provincial jurisdiction. I have not seen ANY major party commit to a plan that would benefit me in any way; The Liberals $6,000 will not help, The Conservatives giving me a tax credit on books won't help, and the NDP lowering costs substantially reduces the quality of my education. All in all, every party has failed in this area.
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