Close X
Friday, November 29, 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

Former Alberta Lieutenant Governor, CFL Pioneer Norman Kwong Dead At 86

Former Alberta Lieutenant Governor, CFL Pioneer Norman Kwong Dead At 86
Norman Kwong, who was the first Chinese Canadian to play in the CFL and who later served as Alberta's lieutenant governor, died Saturday at the age of 86.

Former Alberta Lieutenant Governor, CFL Pioneer Norman Kwong Dead At 86

Smoke Detected On WestJet Flight Causes Detour For Ottawa-Bound Passengers

REGINA — Passengers on a WestJet flight bound for Ottawa found themselves making an unexpected detour to Regina on Saturday.

Smoke Detected On WestJet Flight Causes Detour For Ottawa-Bound Passengers

Transit Police Probing Strange Fight In Metro Vancouver Bus Involving 2 Women, Man In Wheelchair

Transit Police Probing Strange Fight In Metro Vancouver Bus Involving 2 Women, Man In Wheelchair
Transit Police are looking into a violent incident that occurred on a TransLink bus 106 near the New Westminster SkyTrain station.  

Transit Police Probing Strange Fight In Metro Vancouver Bus Involving 2 Women, Man In Wheelchair

Defence Minister Says Canada Will Replace Rifles Used In North Since WWI

Defence Minister Says Canada Will Replace Rifles Used In North Since WWI
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says 6,800 rifles will replace those currently used by the Canadian Rangers.

Defence Minister Says Canada Will Replace Rifles Used In North Since WWI

Justin Trudeau Sidesteps Question About Concerns Over Energy East Pipeline Hearings

HANGZHOU, China — Justin Trudeau sidestepped a question Saturday when asked about concerns over the independence of the National Energy Board hearings into the Energy East oil pipeline project.

Justin Trudeau Sidesteps Question About Concerns Over Energy East Pipeline Hearings

Toronto Doctor Committed Sexual Act On Patient, College Of Physicians Rules

Toronto Doctor Committed Sexual Act On Patient, College Of Physicians Rules
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario's discipline committee found that Dr. Donato Anthony Ruggiero, 70, put his penis in a patient's vagina during an exam in or around 1986.

Toronto Doctor Committed Sexual Act On Patient, College Of Physicians Rules