Marois Startegy Clever, But Will It Work?

In an effort to try and win the election Marois asked student Protesters to hold a truce on strikes until the election is over. Future confrontations with Police Marois said would benefit Charest Law and Order agenda.

She is right if there are major confrontations with police that leads to mass social unrest Charest will be seen as the person who can fix it all, and Marois will look like she is siding with the protesters. Also mass riots will take the issue of corruption and even tuition hikes off the view of the public. Just like it did a few months ago, because the issue become not whether we should reduce tuition, but how do we stop this unrest? Right now the more militant student group called La CLASS is considering whether or not to listen to Marois  advice.

What Most probably will happen is that there will be some student protest, but there will be less. Whether the protest will be the main issue on voters mind has yet to be seen.It is clear more then ever that how to solve civil unrest will play a major factor in this election, but will it be the main theme of the election is yet to be seen.

“It would certainly be good to hold a truce,” Ms. Marois said on Thursday. “I invite students and those who marched in the streets to march towards their voting booths on election day and send a clear message to this government.”

 Ms. Marois made the plea as she unveiled plans to freeze tuition fees for 100 days if the PQ forms the next government, promising a public forum to examine university funding. She said a PQ government would index any potential tuition fee hikes to the cost of living.

Quebec Students Should Take It!

A tentative deal has been made and agreed by all student groups including La CLASSE. I personally feel that this deal is pointless. It is a political maneuver  to try and claim victory on both sides. Even though Tuition will rise for the next 7 years by over 250$ every year (instead of over 320$ for 5 years ) their will be no increase in the cost of education. Because surcharges will be eliminated which are valued the same amount as the tuition increase. So pretty much everything stays the same our tuition rises, but students won't even have to pay a dime more.

Now all that is left in this conflict seems to be the approval of students associations. Which I didn't think would be too hard. But already yesterday 6 Colleges and 10 university facilities voted against the agreement. I am still amazed by these students who are rejecting an offer to go back to a practical freeze on education cost. I am worried that a protest on tuition hikes will soon become a protest on the idea of tuition at all which will be even more dangerous.

The Quebec governments shouldn't make any new concession. This deal is sweet enough. I guess all that is left is too see what the rest of Quebec student facilities have to say.

la CLASSE It's Not About The Money!!

Broad coalition of the Association for a student union solidarity (CLASS) has offered a few ideas to eliminate tuition in Quebec by 2016. They say they have a plan to pay for the increase by:
1. Transfer 142-284 million in research spending towards education 
2. Freeze hiring of some senior executives, wages and eliminate bonuses
3. Stop building satellite campuses (campuses that is physically away from the main university center) 
4. Implement 0.14% tax on financial institutions


For me it isn't about the money it is about the principle. For me the 321 dollar increase is just a matter of the cost of education going up and students paying their fair share. It is no surprise that the cost of education should go up. Simply because of inflation the cost of teachers and education goes up. Likewise so does income (although sometimes not evenly). The fact is that I believe students should pay some part of their education or for that matter parents should. People should invest in their own education.

We shouldn't make education something only the rich can afford we should make education something everybody can afford. I think that even with the increase in tuition education is accessible, because of government grants and the fact that it isn't that expensive. The fact is students should pay for some parts of their education. Under the Charest plan students would in the end pay 17% of tuition. With 35% of the money from the increase going to help low income students pay for university.

The whole argument that accessibility will go out the window is silly. In fact Quebec even at the lowest tuition levels a few years ago had one of the lowest enrollment rate in universities in the developed world. As we can see tuition wasn't a factor other factors are stopping kids from graduating high school.

The Class proposes a solution to eliminate tuition, but for me the money isn't the problem. If the government should do the 4 solutions La Class proposes is irrelevant. It is just a principle that students should pay for some of their tuition. If let's say the government of Quebec finds an extra 200 million dollars in waste that money should either go to eliminating the deficit or better yet spend on eliminating poverty, hiring more doctors, building new hospitals, put into infrastructure etc...  It is a matter of priority of where money should go if any new tax is levied or any spending is cut. It is not the matter of just finding the money.


Read More here

Way To Stand Out!

The Alberta Liberals released there platform for the upcoming election in 2012. In the platform is a radical policy (at least I think) to try and reduce tuition cost of universities, and apparently try to completely eliminate it by 2025. Alberta tuition is the 4th highest in the world  country. Now I do think that tuition in Alberta should not rise and even slightly reduce for now. But to eliminate it I think it comes to a point where the government could better use the money. I am all for forgiving debt to people who want to become doctors, but it get's to a point especially in the future where universities will want money and the government will be too strapped to pay for it. In Quebec the tuition hikes are needed in Alberta a reduce is very welcomed. Being a fiscal conservative I think that high subsidization of education is good and more money for low income families are good as well, but free is too much money. We have to have priorities, and education should be on the top of the list, but our government has other places to put money into especially in Alberta when it comes to Health Care. If lower waiting times and balanced budget's mean students paying some money I think that is fair. Maybe Alberta can afford it, because it has oil , but I still say the money can be better spent. I am still routing for the Alberta Liberals in the 2012 election.

Passports for the Future

The Learning Passport is a new initiative by the Liberal Party to help the poor pay for post-secondary education.  This would be provided through Registered Education Savings Plan to help cover the tuition costs, letting families  to pay the rest. Here are the facts:

• $1 000 or $1 500 per year, depending on family income will be deposited in high school students' RESP for a maximum of $4 000 and $6 000 respectively.
• If the student decides not to attend a post-secondary institution, the money will not be paid out.
• The Learning Passport replaces existing grants which do not pay money upfront for tuition or textbooks. The Liberal program provides more assistance than the existing programs would ever provide
• "If you get the grades, you get to go."

As is normal, the Liberals are concerned with providing young Canadians with a good, sustainable future while the Conservatives would rather spend the money on fighter jets and tax cuts to wealthy corporations. The Liberals spend, but smartly and on the right things. Only the Liberals can stop the Conservative spending spree gone out of control.

The Conservative Party was quick to try to discredit the idea, saying that it would cost students their eligibility for existing grant programs. This seems hard to fathom; surely it could be made compatible. The Conservatives would be better off putting their minds to how to continue to stimulate interest in education and training.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

Related articles

• Leaders appeal to families, small business (cbc.ca)
• Students to get $1,000 annually under Liberal learning plan (canada.com)

Education Wins Elections

That is what Ignatieff's hoping. He wants to make post-secondary education a high-key election issue. As he puts it, "if you get the grades, you get to go." This is part of a "pan-Canadian learning strategy" that the Liberal Party plans to release only during the election this year or in 2012.

While education might win elections, secrecy will lose elections. That's why it's stupid to hide the plan until a campaign. Many Canadians do not know much about the Liberal Party's platform and it seems secretive and opportunistic to keep it... secret until a campaign. If the Liberals want to be the party of accountability, it's essential that it starts with the release of Party plans.

OTTAWA — On his recent cross-country tours, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has talked often about post-secondary education and how his party plans to make it more affordable so that, “if you get the grades, you get to go.” 

Does that mean free tuition? More scholarships? And if so, how would an Ignatieff-led government pay for it?

Read more at the Province.

Did you know?

Here Some very interesting facts my brother found this clip called "Did You Know?" on Youtube. Now Some of the things in the video you might think is a lie, but I would like to say that a prediction on the video is just a best estimates that may prove to be wrong as predictions can always be wrong.

I would like to thank my brother for giving me this idea.

Click here to see video.

2 wrongs don't make a right

A school assignment from a teacher was that every student was to write a list of children who have bullied them. This sounds inefficient enough, but one kid had the most complaints against him from bullying. This kid  was suspended from school for 2 weeks without recess and lunch recess. Because kids said he bullied them. You may think this kid deserved this, but is it better to punish someone severely instead of making sure that the kid learns his lesson properly? This is just revenge. This school was too strict on this student. Making him public enemy #1got him being bullied, and as Gandhi said" An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." This system is completely too strict, and cannot be fair and will truly help no one. 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/04/16/dnt.bully.list.whdh?hpt=T2

millions more go to school

A new law has passed India last year. That the government must provide education to children for free. This means that about 8-10 million is estimated the amount of children will now go to school. The government is expected to spend about 35 billion dollars or 1.5 trillion rupees (Indian currency). I think it is great that children now can go to school in India and that more children can be well educated in school and live healthy and wealthy lives,because as we learn in the renaissance is that education can save you. I am not saying that all the problems in India, but education can help children in India get a better living standard.

But, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act aims to ensure that all children "irrespective of gender and social category have access to education." It was passed last year.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/01/india.education/index.html