Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

Government Should Rethink B.C. Post-Secondary Funding: Teachers

The Canadian Press, 06 Sep, 2016 11:57 AM
  • Government Should Rethink B.C. Post-Secondary Funding: Teachers
VANCOUVER — British Columbia's post-secondary system is in crisis and is failing students by forcing them into careers they may not be suited for, says a group of university and college teachers.
 
The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of British Columbia released a report Tuesday, saying that the way the government funds post-secondary education is limiting students' access to certain programs.
 
George Davidson, the group's president, said schools have been forced in recent years to fund programs that train for jobs highlighted in the province's Skills for Jobs Blueprint, many of which are in the trades or high-tech sector.
 
"It's a huge shift in the kind of programming emphasis of institutions, driven by government policy," he said.
 
"We need trades jobs; I'm not denying that. But we don't need trades jobs to the exclusion of everything else."
 
Paired with long-term under funding, Davidson said the re-allocation of resources means some programs, such as transfer courses and English as a second language courses, are being cut.
 
The history instructor said the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, where he taught for years, went from having nine academic divisions to only three as funding was increasingly restricted. The college now offers courses in trades, health sciences and international.
 
 
"When you're taking money from one area and moving it to another area, that means you're not offering the stuff that was offered previously," Davidson said.
 
The federation's report said that when inflation is taken into account, the provincial government's per-student funding has declined by more than 20 per cent since 2001.
 
Davidson said that as funding becomes increasingly restricted, schools have looked to students to cover costs, hiking tuition and fees, especially for international students.
 
"The shift in the cost of education has largely gone from the province to the backs of students and families," he said.
 
But Davidson said the government doesn't seem to care.
 
 
"We say, 'look, let's fix things up.' But it's kind of like putting Band-Aids on an elephant," he said.
 
The federation, which represents teachers at dozens of schools, including Langara in Vancouver, Selkirk in Castlegar and Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, is now calling on they want the government to do a thorough review of how the post-secondary system is funded.

MORE National ARTICLES

Hearing To Begin For Judge Who Made 'Knees Together' Remark At Sex Assault Trial

Hearing To Begin For Judge Who Made 'Knees Together' Remark At Sex Assault Trial
 A hearing is to begin Tuesday for a Federal Court judge who asked a sexual assault complainant why she couldn’t just keep her knees together.

Hearing To Begin For Judge Who Made 'Knees Together' Remark At Sex Assault Trial

B.C. Liberals Must Pull Off Balancing Act On Real Estate: Observers

Max Cameron, a political scientist at the University of British Columbia, said the prospect of housing affordability turning into an election issue is "undoubtedly" what motivated the Liberals to step in with the tax.

B.C. Liberals Must Pull Off Balancing Act On Real Estate: Observers

Trudeau Uses G20 To Raise Cases Of Canadians Detained In Turkey, Indonesia

HANGZHOU, China — The prime minister says he has spoken with Turkish and Indonesian leaders about the fate of three Canadians detained in those countries.

Trudeau Uses G20 To Raise Cases Of Canadians Detained In Turkey, Indonesia

GM Workers In Oshawa, Ont., Brace For 'The Fight Of Our Lives' In Auto Talks

GM Workers In Oshawa, Ont., Brace For 'The Fight Of Our Lives' In Auto Talks
OSHAWA, Ont. — Just over a year ago, Corina and Joe Colacicco — both employees at the General Motors facility in Oshawa, Ont. — sold their house and bought a bigger one to accommodate their growing family.

GM Workers In Oshawa, Ont., Brace For 'The Fight Of Our Lives' In Auto Talks

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley Walks In Pride Parade, Says Province Has Made Big Strides

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley Walks In Pride Parade, Says Province Has Made Big Strides
CALGARY — Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the province has made big strides in improving sexual minority rights.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley Walks In Pride Parade, Says Province Has Made Big Strides

Coast Guard Emphasizes Safety On Water After 1,500 Americans Float Into Canada

Coast Guard Emphasizes Safety On Water After 1,500 Americans Float Into Canada
The image of hundreds of Americans on inflatable rafts and makeshift platforms bobbing helplessly down the St. Clair River as strong winds pushed them towards the Canadian shore is one Peter Garapick isn't going to forget.

Coast Guard Emphasizes Safety On Water After 1,500 Americans Float Into Canada