OTTAWA, Feb. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Post-secondary students from across Canada are in Ottawa this week to meet with Senators and Members of Parliament for discussions on tuition costs and universal post-secondary education.
“Students are struggling more than ever after bearing the brunt of government post-secondary funding reductions”, said Coty Zachariah, national chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “With education-related debt steadily rising, lower-income students are beginning to see their university and college aspirations as a pipe dream.”
Over a three day period, student leaders and executives of the CFS will present three recommendations for tackling rising student debt and accessible education.
- Eliminate tuition fees for all students and restore core federal funding for post-secondary education.
- Honour Canada’s treaty commitments on post-secondary education for Indigenous peoples.
- Increase funding for graduate students and support fair dealing in the Copyright Act.
Although Canadians are some of the highest educated in the world, they often have to take on life-altering debts to acquire this education. Despite the government’s outward commitment to reconciliation, Indigenous learners also continue to be denied education funding due to the 2% funding cap on the Post Secondary Student Support Program that has existed for decades.
“We’re taking our concerns to the MPs and Senators on the hill,” said Zachariah, “During this election year, it is especially important to remind our leaders of the promises they made to students, to Indigenous learners and to their families. It’s time to be bold. We need to take action for accessible education now.”
Student representatives will be available to media requests from February 19th to the 22nd.
The lobby week document titled “Time to be Bold: Education for All” can be accessed here.
The Canadian Federation of Students is the oldest and largest national student organization in Canada, representing over 500,000 college, undergraduate and graduate students across the country.
Contact info:
Elfreda Tetteh
Communications Coordinator
(613) 232-7394