With McGuinty Gone Students Challenge Ontario’s Next Premier

It’s no secret The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) were not huge fans of Dalton McGuinty, before he resigned. Now, in his absence, the CFS is looking for fresh leadership from Ontario’s next premier.

“Dalton McGuinty, supposed Education Premier, betrayed students and families time and time again, leaving Ontario colleges and universities the most expensive and poorest funded in the country,” said Sarah Jayne King, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario.

“Students are fed up with political games and want this government to take decisive action to improve the quality of colleges and universities and dropping tuition fees.”

A recent CFS news release highlighted some of the biggest crimes against Ontario’s postsecondary system.

They include:

• Since 2006, tuition fees have increased by as much as 71 per cent.
• Students in Ontario now pay the highest tuition fees in all of Canada.
• Since 2005, outstanding debt to the Ontario government has more than doubled, increasing from $1.15 billion to $2.64 billion.
• In the 2012 budget, for every new $1 the government provided for the new grant program, $1.20 was clawed back from students through another tuition fee increase
• Cuts to financial aid, grants for Francophone students, and the Ontario Work Study Program.
• Per-student funding for post-secondary education in Ontario is now the lowest in Canada.