TORONTO, March 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Students across Ontario are planning campus walk outs to protest the Ford government's plan to defund students' unions and cut $600 million in funding for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
WHO: College and university student students across Ontario.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 12:00PM.
WHERE: College and university campuses across Ontario, including:
- Algoma University
- Carleton University
- Fanshawe College
- George Brown College
- Ontario College of Art and Design
- Ryerson University
- Trent University
- University of Toronto Mississauga
- University of Toronto St. George
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- York University
- University of Windsor
(Other walk outs may be organized in between now and March 20. For an updated list, see the Facebook event page “Walk out - Débrayage des étudiantes et étudiants” at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1934474343318023/?ti=cl)
WHAT: Students are encouraged to walk out of their classrooms to engage in sit-ins, rallies and other demonstrations to protest the provincial government's plan to defund students’ unions through the Student Choice Initiative (SCI) and cut over $600 million in OSAP funding.
A walk out is a form of protest used by students, workers and communities to send a powerful message. The purpose of a walk out is to demonstrate widespread disapproval or dissatisfaction with decision-makers and disrupt business as usual.
This walk out is an escalation of actions undertaken by students across the province since the Ford government announced sweeping reforms to the post-secondary sector on January 17.
Student demands
- Provide more grants not loans
- Eliminate tuition fees for all students
- Increase public funding for public education
- Protect students’ independent voices
- Defend the right to organize
Quick facts:
- On January 17, the Ford government announced a ten per cent tuition fee reduction, alongside major cuts to OSAP and the creation of a new ancillary fee framework that will make many student fees optional, including students’ union membership.
- In 2018-2019 under the previous OSAP grants program, over 234,000 students accessed grants that covered the full cost of tuition.
- At a rally hosted by the CFS-Ontario on February 19 at Queen’s Park, 34 MPPs from the NDP, Liberal and Green parties signed a petition calling for the reversal of Ford’s plan for post-secondary education and the elimination of tuition fees.
- Student representatives from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario met with MPPs as part of the organization's annual Lobby Week from Monday, February 25 to Thursday, February 28, 2019. Despite multiple invitations, neither Premier Doug Ford nor Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Merrilee Fullerton were willing to meet with students.
The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario unites over 350,000 college and university students in all regions of the province.
For more information:
Nour Alideeb, Chairperson, at 416-925-3825
Ian McRae, Government Relations and Policy Coordinator, at 416-925-3825 or 306-852-0128