Access to education important for poverty reduction

November 5 was a Day of Action for the Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students in the fight for a poverty-free Ontario. The students and their supporters are demanding a livable minimum wage, access to good childcare, effective social assistance, affordable and decent housing, and a reduction in tuition fees.

Student rallies and protests were organized all over Ontario today in order to focus the government’s attention on the concerns of those living in poverty, and particularly students.

The issue of tuition costs and student poverty are often viewed as normal or a “rite of passage” for young people as they prepare for careers. But these are real and growing concerns in Ontario and across the country.

As Shelley Melanson, chair of CFS-Ontario pointed out, today many new jobs require degrees or certificates from post-secondary institutions. As a result, higher education is often viewed as essential for finding a job with adequate wages and benefits, and escaping poverty. Beyond finding employment, access to quality education is also important for personal development.

Therefore, access for all students to higher education should be a priority for the provincial and territorial governments, as well as the federal government. But in the meantime tuition fees continue to rise.

Across the country, tuition fees for an undergraduate arts student have gone from $1,800 about 16 years ago to about $4,700 in 2008 – an increase of 260 per cent! Meanwhile, students who cannot afford the tuition costs on top of living expenses are forced into debt. At the beginning of this year, the collective student debt across the country reached $13 billion.

With education such a priority in the workforce and society in general, it should never become a luxury. Instead, poverty reduction plans at the provincial and federal level need to take into consideration the burden of rising tuition fees and the growing concern of student poverty.