Post-Secondary Education

$400 MILLION SLASHED FROM HIGHER EDUCATION In 1996-7, the Ontario government slashed $400 million from higher education funding; the largest single cut in the province's history.

SKYROCKETING TUITION FEES Since then, college tuition fees have soared on average by over 53% and university tuition fees have increased by over 60%.

DEREGULATION MEANS EVEN HIGHER TUITION FEES Two years ago, the Ontario government fully deregulated tuition fees for certain professional, post-diploma and graduate programmes. In some of these areas, tuition fees have more than doubled. For example, a computer animation programme at Sheridan College increased from $1 400 in 1997-8 to $8 500 for the 2000-2001 academic year. Tuition fees for medicine at the University of Toronto are now over $14 000.

PRIVATE DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTIONS Last spring, the Ontario government gave the go-ahead to private, degree-granting institutions. Past experience shows that private institutions are often fly-by-night operations that have gone out of business, abandoning hundreds of students in mid-programme. Private institutions syphon already meagre public funds away from public institutions. Tuition fees at private institutions are typically much higher than those for public colleges and universities, leaving students with higher debt upon graduation.

PRIVATIZATION: THE GLOBAL AGENDA The Ontario government has gone ahead with private institutions with no regard for the future of higher education under existing free-trade agreements. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), once a publicly provided service is provided on a private, commercial basis, then both public and private services must be treated in the same manner. Either private institutions will have to be granted the same public subsidies as public institutions or public institutions would have to see their so-called "unfair" subsidies eliminated. In either case, the accessibility of publicly funded higher education is seriously compromised.