​Liberal government is letting students across the province down

Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner will speak to attendees of the College Student Alliance’s rally at Queen’s Park today, focusing on the idea that the Liberal government is letting students across the province down.

“It’s time to put students first. With the strike at 24 colleges well into its third week, about 300,000 students are missing out on the education they paid for, and may miss a semester if the government doesn’t act now,” said Schreiner.  “I’m especially concerned that no talks have taken place since the strike began. Both sides need to bring solutions to the table when talks begin again tomorrow.”

Previous strikes at Ontario colleges in 1984, 1989 and 2006 each lasted about three weeks.

“The issue at the heart of the current dispute is a direct result of the Liberal government’s failure to provide proper support for post-secondary education,” added Schreiner.

“The Liberals have had 14 years to come up with a plan that provides for proper funding of colleges,” he said. “Instead, Ontario has the lowest per capita funding for colleges and universities of any province in Canada. The financial pressure on the system is at a crisis.”

Colleges play an essential role for students of all ages navigating an economy in transition. Investing in classrooms — the students and teachers in those classrooms — is essential to training the workforce that powers Ontario’s economic prosperity.