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0 1
1
August, 2001
Standing Committee on Finance
House of Commons
submission to the
Canadian Federation of Students

2. Canadian Federation of Students’
Submission to the
House of Commons
Standing Committee on Finance
August, 2001
INTRODUCTION system of post-secondary education is
working to exacerbate the gap between
The unprecedented growth of the those who prosper in the new economy
Canadian economy over the past six and those who languish in low-paying,
years has created unique challenges and unfulfilling work. In the past three
opportunities. On June 1, 2000 the budgets the federal government has
gross domestic product reached the undertaken a variety of new policy
benchmark of $1 trillion and the past initiatives under the banner of the “new
three federal budgets have produced economy” and the challenge of
surpluses of over $5 billion. Using providing opportunities for all.
conservative economic indicators, the However, as we shall outline, these
Canadian Association of University measures have, for the most part, been
Teachers estimates the surplus will cosmetic.
grow to at least $34.6 billion over the Besides calling for more core funding,
next five years. Despite these this brief will make the case that the
achievements the gap between the rich money the federal government is
and poor in Canada continues to widen. investing in post-secondary education
According to the Canadian Fact Book and research could be allocated more
on Poverty there are 1.3 million more effectively. In addition, though the
poor households in Canada than there federal government has restored a
were 20 years ago. Between 1981 and portion of the funding cut to the Canada
1997, the rate of poverty among young Health and Social Transfer (CHST) in
families more than doubled from 21.7 1994, almost none of this new funding
per cent to 46.1 per cent. is being used for public colleges and
During this same period of economic universities. The federal government
expansion and increased poverty, the has yet to implement any framework
cost of post-secondary education has with the provinces that works toward
dramatically increased and access to national standards of quality and
education for low and middle income mobility. Before such a framework can
Canadians is declining. An important be built the federal government must
indicator about the mismatch between find a means of making the provinces
macro-economic prosperity and the more accountable for the funds
declining opportunities for low and transferred under the CHST designed to
middle income Canadians can be found fund post-secondary education.
in recent trends in post-secondary In the light of the trends outlined above
education policy. Regrettably, Canada’s it is regrettable that the Standing
2001 Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance 1

3. Committee on Finance has decline in access to post-secondary
recommended that almost all of the education among low and middle
accrued surplus for the next three years income Canadians. Throughout the
be allocated for tax cuts. Tax cuts will 1990’s, the federal government pointed
do nothing to address the growing to high participation rates to argue that
income disparity in Canada and, more funding cuts have had no effect on
importantly, they limit the access to post-secondary education.
government’s ability to properly fund However, recent data suggests that
programs like healthcare and post- there is a direct link between funding
secondary education that soften socio- and accessibility. Between 1990 and
economic divisions. In this brief we 2000, tuition fees increased by a
will outline how these recent policy national average of 126%. During this
measures are actually contributing to same period, university operating
what Judith Maxwell called the ‘social revenues from governments fell by
deficit’ and why the basic tenor of 25%.1 Student debt also rose from an
federal government policy on post- average of $8,000 in 1990 to $25,000 in
secondary education is moving us 1998.
further away from the democratic goal
The effect of this paradigm shift in how
of a high quality system of universal
education is funded has been felt most
education accessible to all.
acutely by low and middle income
This brief will be divided into three Canadians. Canadians who are in the
sections: Access to Post-Secondary bottom 20% in terms of after-tax
Education; Research; and Skills and income now devote 23% of their after-
Training. In each section we assess tax income to tuition fees and
current policy as well as offer proactive educational expenses.2 That figure
solutions to the problems endemic in represents a 64% increase from 1991.
our system of post-secondary During this period, the after-tax income
education. The policy themes and of this demographic decreased by 3% in
recommendations that govern this brief real dollars.3
will explore both the economic and
The downloading of educational costs
social peril Canada invites by ignoring
from the collective pool of public
the crisis in post-secondary education.
resources to the individual has had a
ACCESS: OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL? predictable effect on access. Over the
past 18 months reliable data has
“Every Canadian who wants to learn
emerged that tracks the effect of the
should have the opportunity to do so.
public policy terms enumerated above.
Students from lower income families
At the University of Western Ontario a
are under-represented in our institutions
study was undertaken to quantify the
of higher learning. Too many are
effects of tuition fee increases. The
deterred from pursuing higher
study documented the household
education because of a fear of a large
income of two groups of students. The
debt.”
first were students entering Western’s
Paul Martin, 1998
medical school in the first year in
The withdrawal of federal funding over which tuition fees had been fully
the past decade has led to a steady
2 Canadian Federation of Students

4. deregulated, resulting in substantial fee These findings provide conclusive
increases. The second group were evidence that tuition fees operate as a
fourth year medical students who had direct barrier to families at the low end
entered the program three years earlier of the socio-economic scale. In short,
during a period when the fees were federal and provincial under-funding of
regulated and considerably lower. The education is creating yet another divide
study found that after deregulation, the in Canadian society between those who
participation rates of students from have access to the skills, training, and
families with a household income of experience of post-secondary education
less than $40,000 dropped by more than and those Canadians who are denied
50% (from 17.3% to just 7.7%). access for purely financial reasons. This
Participation rates of students from mounting evidence supports the
very high-income families tripled, from prescient claim of the Maritime
8.6% to 24.4%. A similar study at the Provinces Higher Education
University of Guelph found that the Commission in its study of accessibility
number of students entering the in 1997:
University of Guelph from homes with
The research clearly demonstrates that
family incomes of $40,000 or less was the cost of post-secondary education
40% in 1987. That number had dropped and increasing debt levels are
to 16% by 1998. significant factors in the decision
students make about whether or not to
The withdrawal of public funding and
continue their studies beyond high
increased cost of post secondary
school. Even more significant is the
education has had a particularly finding that students from lower
detrimental effect on aboriginal income households are much more
communities in Canada. likely to be affected by financial issues
Unemployment rates and other social when deciding to pursue or not pursue
determinants in aboriginal communities their education beyond high school (ii,
remain at levels near that of developing 1997).
nations. A recent review of post
In the face of this mounting crisis the
secondary education by the Assembly
federal government has taken several
of First Nations confirms that funding
modest steps to address the problem of
and opportunity are being denied to
accessibility. Before offering
aboriginal Canadians who are least
recommendations we will evaluate the
likely to afford the increased cost of
effect these measures, in particular, the
tuition.4 The study focused on the
Registered Education Savings Program
capping of band funding for post-
(RESP) and the Millennium
secondary education and the effect that
Scholarship Foundation (MSF), are
this cap has had on access to education
having.
for First Nations peoples. In addition,
the report points to federal funding cuts In the face of mounting tuition fees and
as the primary reason why Canada’s other individualised costs of education,
First Nations have been unable to the federal government recently
expand the number of institutions extended the Registered Education
devoted exclusively to the needs of Savings Program to include a national
aboriginal learners. system of grants (Canada Education
2001 Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance 3

5. Savings Grant-CESG) based on the save for a child’s education and that
ability to save. In addition to the 62.6% actually were saving.
forgone tax revenue of the original Figure 1. - Post Secondary Aspirations and Savings
program, the federal government set % of children whose % of children
aside a grant of 20% on the first $2000 parents hope they will whose parents
Household attend post secondary are saving for
deposited into an RESP. The grant Income institutions their PSE
totals $400 per year and continues until <$30,000 79.8 18.7
the year in which the child for whom $30,000-$49,000 85.8 37.4
the account is opened turns 17. $50,000-$59,000 90.6 45.6
The addition of the grants program, $60,000-$79,000 93.4 52.6
along with a cessation of certain $80,000+ 95.0 62.6
restrictions, increased participation in Source: Statistics Canada, The Daily, April 10, 2001
the program dramatically and These numbers confirm the case put
represents a significant federal forward by the Canadian Federation of
government expenditure on post- Students in our submission to the
secondary education. Between 1998 Standing Committee on Finance last
and May 2001 the government of year. Through the available data we
Canada spent $959,487,905 on direct argued that the RESP program was in
grants. This figure does not take into effect a national system of grants for
account the cost of administering the the wealthy. The RESP is ostensibly a
program or the forgone tax revenue. social program funded by all Canadians
Despite this public expenditure the designed to reward those with the
participation rates of low and middle means to save. The aforementioned
income Canadians are rapidly findings by Statistics Canada confirms
declining. Recent data from Statistics this analysis and provides hard data to
Canada demonstrates why the federal support the contention that the RESP
government is seeing such a poor fiscal and CESG programs are a regressive
and social return on this investment. use of public funds that are doing
In an April 2001 study, entitled Survey virtually nothing to assist those
of Approaches to Educational Canadians most in need of the skills
Planning, researchers tracked attitudes and training offered by post-secondary
toward saving for a child’s post- education. RESPs merely expand the
secondary education as well as the already existing gap in Canada between
actual savings families were able to the desire for post-secondary education
accumulate. The study controled for and the ability to afford it. It is indeed
family income and parental educational perverse public policy to spend public
attainment. In homes where the family funds on those who least need
income was less than $30,000, 80% of assistance while doing little or nothing
parents said they hoped to save funds to help those for whom post-secondary
for a child’s education. However, only education remains only a dream.
18.7% of those parents were actually The other policy measure taking up
able to save. In homes with family public resources is the Millennium
income of over $80,000 researchers Scholarship Foundation (MSF).
found that 95% of parents hoped to Enshrined in the 1998 federal budget,
4 Canadian Federation of Students

6. the MSF has had little or no impact on direction of funds would allow the
student debt in Canada. Since Finance federal government to provide an up-
Minister Paul Martin rose in the House front grant to those most in need of
of Commons and promised Canadians financial assistance without adjusting
that the MSF would reduce a students’ any current budgetary projections.
debt by $12,000 over a four-year
Finally, years of under-funding by the
program, the MSF has been mired in
federal government and provincial
public relations gaffes and disputes
governments has led to increased
with provincial governments. The
reliance on the Canada Student Loan
complex public/private structure of the
Program. As previously noted, student
Foundation forced it to enter into
debt has skyrocketed to an average of
negations with provincial governments
$25,000 as students bear the brunt of
to disburse approximately $250 million
funding shortages. In response to this
per year. When these negotiations were
increased pressure on the CSLP, the
completed it became apparent that
federal government has simply
some provinces (Nova Scotia and
attempted to make the program more
Ontario in particular) were simply not
restrictive by instituting regressive
going to use funds transferred from the
policy measures under the guise of
MSF to relieve student debt. The
accountability.
creation of the MSF as a stand-alone
body was designed to give the federal In the case of the bankruptcy
government a higher profile in the legislation, the federal government is
funding of post-secondary education. attempting to address the crisis of
Consequently, the MSF has become a student debt by criminalising students.
public relations vehicle that is not This unconscionable legislation strips
addressing the root problem of student students of the very last financial
debt. This, despite an endowment of protection offered under the law. The
$2.5 billion over ten years. law introduces a fundamental inequity
in the way Canadians are treated under
The Canadian Federation of Students is
the law. It is this provision that has
proposing that the funds currently being
compelled the Canadian Federation of
expended in the RESP and CESG
Students to launch a Charter challenge
programs, along with the Millennium
before the Superior Court of Ontario to
Scholarship Foundation endowment, be
repeal this unjust and unconstitutional
rolled into a national system of needs
law. The provisions of the Bankruptcy
based grants. If the program were to be
and Insolvency Act are designed to
administered through the current needs-
offer a last hope to those unable to cope
assessment mechanism of the Canada
with debt. Under the Act, an individual
Student Loan Program (CSLP) it would
must appear before a judge and present
require no start-up funding and no
evidence under oath that their financial
increase to administrative costs. In
disposition makes it impossible for
addition, such a program of needs-
them to meet their obligations.
based grants would be revenue neutral
as we are proposing that it be funded In 1997, the federal government
with resources re-directed from the undertook a review of the Act with the
RESP and MSF budgets. This re- aim of enacting a two-year prohibition
2001 Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance 5

7. on declaring bankruptcy. During the
Recommendation #3:
consultation period the Canadian
The federal government should
Federation of Students and other groups
reverse discriminatory changes to
made a compelling case against such a
the Bankruptcy and Insolvency
prejudicial change. Despite the
Act.
consensus view that such changes
would only lead to misery for those Recommendation #4:
most desperate, the federal government The federal government should
enacted legislation setting out the two- abandon the practice of doing
year prohibition. Less than ten months credit checks on Canada Student
later, without consultation or supporting Loan applicants.
reasons, the 1998 ‘education’ budget Recommendation #5:
legislation extended the ban to ten The federal government should
years. As it now seems clear that the enact a Post-Secondary Education
Ministry of Finance initiated these Act that enforces national
changes, we are calling on the Standing standards of mobility, quality and
Committee on Finance to recommend accessibility.
that this discriminatory law be repealed.
The cumulative effects of diminished
funding to post-secondary coupled with RESEARCH: PUBLIC RESEARCH
policy initiatives like credit checks for FOR PUBLIC DOLLARS?
student loans and changes to the Bank- “At a certain point…we don’t have
ruptcy and Insolvency Act have created universities anymore, but outlying
a crisis in student debt and additional
branches of industry. Then all the
accessibility problems for low and
things that society turns to the univer-
middle income Canadians. New policy
sity for––breadth of knowledge, far
that individualises the cost of higher
time horizons, and independent voice––
education have only exacerbated the
are lost.”
existing inequities. Successful ways to
John Polanyi, Nobel Prize winning chemist
address these problems will have to be
at the University of Toronto
national in scope, and be sensitive to
students who are most in need. In the 2001 Speech from the Throne,
the federal government committed to
Recommendation #1: doubling spending on research and
The federal government should development over the next ten years.
terminate the RESP program and The announcement continues the trend
institute the Canada Student of increased public investment in
Grants Program. research. However, recent trends in
federal government research policy
Recommendation #2: gives rise to several concerns about
The federal government should who will benefit from this boom in
terminate the Millennium spending.
Scholarship Foundation and
transfer the funds to the Canada Since freezing funding for Canada’s
Student Grants Program. three granting councils in the early and
mid 1990’s the federal government has
6 Canadian Federation of Students

8. taken modest steps to re-invest in Two recent examples highlight the
public research. In addition to replacing dangers of public/private partnerships.
the Medical Research Council with the Both examples are drawn from the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, University of Toronto. The story of the
the federal government has brought the University of Toronto is an instructive
Social Sciences and Humanities example in assessing the cost of public/
Research Council and the Natural private partnerships. The University of
Sciences and Engineering Research Toronto has been able to raise a
Council back to 1995 levels. staggering amount of money over the
past ten years in private and corporate
While modestly investmenting in
donations. Most of this fundraising
public research, the federal government
activity has been spurred by the
increased funding for the Canada
withdrawal of provincial and federal
Foundation for Innovation (CFI) by
funding and the contemporaneous
$900 million. Introduced in the 1997
introduction of public/private
budget, the CFI funds research projects
partnerships. However, the University
that are able to secure 20% - 60% of
of Toronto’s success at fundraising has
their funding from private industry.
been accompanied by a diminishment
Under the current scheme, the CFI will
of academic and research freedom.
only fund projects that are public/
Consider the case of Dr. Nancy
private partnerships.
Olivieri, a researcher at the University
The rapid growth of the CFI has had of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick
four detrimental effects on research in Children. Olivieri was contracted by
Canada: Apotex, Canada’s largest drug
i) The CFI subsidises private, for- manufacturer and one of the University
profit research in Canada by of Toronto’s most important donors, to
transferring hundreds of millions of test a new drug to treat thalassemia.
research dollars to private industry. During the course of her research
There is very little public Olivieri discovered several disturbing
accountability for the results of side effects of the drug and
publicly funded research when kept recommended that the trials be
secret for ‘proprietary’ reasons. discontinued, or at least suspended,
ii) The institutionalisation of public/ until the risk to her patients could be
private research through the CFI is assessed. When Olivieri sought to
stifling public research in Canada, publish her results and alert her
iii) Public/private partnerships create a patients, she was threatened with legal
two tier system of education in action and a smear campaign was
Canada with large research organised against her.
universities triumphing over
What is most disturbing and surprising
smaller, generally regionally based,
about Dr. Olivieri’s case is not the
institutions.
behaviour of the drug company but the
iv) Humanities funding is falling
behaviour of the university. Instead of
farther and farther behind other
supporting Olivieri in this important
academic disciplines like
case of public safety versus corporate
engineering and computer science.
profit, the university attempted to fire
2001 Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance 7

9. Olivieri and did everything it could to that benefits all of Canadian society.
mollify Apotex for fear of losing
The CFI and other matching fund
funding from Apotex. University of
programs have opened a significant gap
Toronto President Robert Pritchard
between large, well-established
went so far as to write a letter to the
universities and smaller colleges and
federal government in support of
universities. Those institutions that
Apotex’s call for legislative changes to
have a large pool of ‘seed capital’ to
generic drug patent laws. Throughout
pursue and sustain large corporate
the entire controversy, the University of
donations are reaping a windfall of
Toronto was involved in sensitive
public funding. Those universities that
negotiations to establish a $20 million
may not immediately have the same
partnership with Apotex under the
appeal to corporate Canada or do not
auspices of the CFI.
have the infrastructure to undertake
The second, and more recent example multi-million dollar campaigns for
is the case of Dr. David Healy. Healy is matching funds have no access to this
an internationally renowned psychiatric funding. The Canadian Association of
researcher. He was offered a position University Business Officers estimates
that he accepted with the University of that Canadian universities have a deficit
Toronto. Shortly after his appointment, of $3.6 billion in deferred maintenance
Healy presented at a conference where costs. Institutions most able to leverage
he described a disturbing lack of public funds with private strings
research to investigate the potential attached are better able to meet these
relationship between Prozac and suicide immediate needs. Those institutions
rates. He made his remarks in the that cannot meet these needs are unable
context of a paper that raised serious to sustain an innovative research
concerns about the ability of large environment. Though some in the post-
pharmaceutical companies to drive the secondary education sector have called
national research agenda.The for a complex funding formula to
University of Toronto immediately compensate for the indirect cost of
withdrew its offer of employment to research, the only way to insure that all
Healy. Eli Lilly, the company that universities and colleges have equal
manufactures Prozac, is a large donor access to public funds is to restore core
to the University of Toronto. funding to public universities and
colleges.
The examples of Dr. Healy and Dr.
Olivieri illustrate what is lost when the In the case of the humanities, almost all
funding of research is privatised and the of the federal government’s matching
public interest becomes secondary to fund programs explicitly exclude the
corporate research and public relations. humanities. In addition, the value of
Though the federal government has humanities programs is not considered
invested more money into research, immediately useful by corporations that
Canadian citizens are seeing a poor seek partnerships with universities and
return on this investment because colleges. The humanities, unlike
almost all of the new funding is science-related disciplines, are
subsidising private industry at the chronically under-funded and the
expense of research and development current move toward public/private
8 Canadian Federation of Students

10. partnerships ensures that this under- SKILLS AND TRAINING:
funding will continue. LIFE-LONG LEARNING FOR ALL?
Though the development of the CFI In the most recent speech from the
and other matching fund programs throne the federal government
ignores and, in some cases, undermines announced its intention to renew the
the humanities, the data has never been infrastructure of skills and training in
more thorough to demonstrate the Canada. As part of this process, the
economic and social benefit of the Canadian Federation of Students
humanities. Dr. Robert Allen, a participated in a national roundtable on
University of British Columbia skills and learning in Edmonton, March
economist, demonstrated that the 21-22. The roundtable, hosted by
demand for humanities graduates has Human Resources Development
actually outstripped that of science and Minister Jane Stewart, drew
engineering graduates. In addition, participants from all regions of the
Allen noted the proclivity high-tech country and almost all social sectors
firms exhibit for employees with the were represented. The set of final
ability to think critically as opposed to recommendations to emerge from the
those with primarily technical skills. discussions reflected a clear consensus
The diversity and dynamism of the new among the participants. It is in the
economy would appear, then, to call for context of the final report of the
the retrenchment of funding and national roundtable and the
research support for the humanities comprehensive federal report entitled
rather than a withdrawal of public Stepping Up: Skills and Opportunities
funding. in the Knowledge Economy that we will
offer our assessment of the skills and
training challenges Canada faces.
Recommendation # 6: The dominant theme of the roundtable’s
The federal government should final report was twofold. First, that the
restructure the CFI in order to federal government needed to play a
ensure that matching funds from prominent role in funding and
the private sector are not a administering a national skills strategy.
condition of public funding for a Such a national approach would
research project. In addition, the address the shortcoming of the current
federal government should piecemeal approach to skills and
double funding for public training. Second, the need for universal
research over the next ten years. access to skills and training must form
Recommendation # 7: the foundation of any national skills
The federal government should strategy. In order to achieve that goal,
provide an additional $100 million funding must be restored to Canada’s
per annum to the Social Science public colleges and universities.
and Humanities Research Council The burgeoning private, for-profit
in order to equalise funding with training industry is in no position to
the other granting councils. provide solutions to the employment
shortages and skills gap that the
2001 Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance 9

11. Canadian economy faces. Private training, we believe that is important
training is generally characterised by that the Employment Insurance
exorbitant tuition fees and sub-standard program continue to fund and support
instruction that leaves students mired in worker re-training. In addition, we
debt and bereft of the skills that drove support the call for Canada to follow
them to private trainers. Regrettably, it the lead of most European Union
is changes in federal government policy countries and allow the EI program to
that is pushing many unemployed and be utilised for training leave. Such a
underemployed Canadians to turn to the program would mirror apprentice
private training industry. training programs that provide a
powerful incentive to develop new
In 1996, the federal government
skills by providing workers with
eliminated the practice of bulk
income while they learn.
purchases of seats at public institutions
as a means of providing re-training to Despite the compelling argument for a
unemployed workers. In place of this public solution to the skills and training
purchase, unemployed workers now challenges that Canada faces, the
receive a voucher that can be used at federal government has contemplated
both public and private institutions. The the introduction of Registered
new voucher system rarely provides Individual Learning Accounts (RILA).
enough funding for the recipient to In the initial stages of discussion, it
obtain adequate training. appears that the RILA will replicate all
of the inequalities endemic to the RESP
At private institutions workers are often program that was outlined earlier in this
forced to enter programs that offer brief. Like RESPs, RILAs would
neither the quality nor the duration expend significant public resources to
necessary to allow them to acquire the assist those who already have the
skills needed to participate in the new means to save for an education. Such a
economy. This point is particularly program will do nothing to assist those
troubling given the fact that Human Canadians who need basic literacy
Resources Development Canada’s skills and other forms of training that
labour force studies demonstrate that form a pre-requisite for sustainable
most of the workers who turn to the employment.
federal government for training have
been displaced from jobs in the In Britain, where a program similar to
resource industry. In addition, the the proposed RILA has been
federal government is now quickly implemented, less than 25% of those
ceding jurisdiction from training who open a RILA are workers in need
through the Employment Insurance Act of basic re-training and skills. In
to provincial governments. Though the addition, the RILA program in Britain
recent speech from the throne and the has been a boon for the private, for-
ongoing work on a major ‘White Paper’ profit training industry. Simply put, the
on skills, training and innovation are solution to the skills gap in Canada is
hopeful signs that the federal not to be found in repeating the errors
government still believes it has an of the RESP and using public funds to
important role to play in skills and support those who already have ample
10 Canadian Federation of Students

12. access to skills and training. The
experience in Britain demonstrates that Recommendation #10:
RILAs act more as a public subsidy for The federal government should
business than as means of providing retain juridiction over skills and
equal access to skills and training. training and tie its national
Under the RILA model public funds strategy to a national system of
subsidise the training of employees in needs-based grants.
the form of forgone tax revenue and
direct grants. In the British example, CONCLUSION
most of those who are opening accounts
are participating in training programs There is little doubt about the social
that previously would have been funded and economic merit of post-secondary
by the employer. education. However, public policy
decisions taken by the federal
Finally, if the federal government is to government in recent years has
address the gap between access to skills undermined the vision of access to
and the need for those skills among the post-secondary education as a social
most economically vulnerable good available to all Canadians. The
Canadians it must reverse the recent federal policy trends outlined in this
trends in Canada Student Loan Policy brief point to a system of post-
outlined above. The implementation of secondary education that determines
credit checks and the discriminatory access on the basis of the ability to pay
bankruptcy legislation are barriers to rather than merit or need. During the
lifelong learning that should have no 1960s and 1970s when participation
place in a national skills agenda rates were growing and post secondary
designed for all Canadians. education opportunities were
expanding, the federal government
played a leadership role in ensuring
Recommendation # 8: access to education. Indeed, as Finance
The federal government should re- Minster Paul Martin suggests, the
institute the practice of block federal government is still, at least
purchases of seats in public post- rhetorically, devoted to the idea that all
secondary institutions with the Canadians should have the opportunity
purpose of supplying training to to learn regardless of financial
unemployed and underemployed circumstance.
workers.
Unfortunately, as all the hard data
Recommendation #9: attests, access to the skills and
The federal government should knowledge offered by post-secondary
introduce a training leave program education is quickly becoming a
funded through Employment privilege for the wealthy in Canada. In
Insurance. Such a program should the face of this mounting challenge the
allow workers up to 18 months of federal government has put together a
paid leave for training. patchwork of policy initiatives that
focus largely on regressive tax credits
as inducements to save for education
2001 Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance 11

13. and increasing ties to private industry.
Neither approach has improved the
quality or accessibility of Canadian
colleges or universities. Accessible,
public post-secondary education which
is of high quality will require the
federal government to re-dedicate itself
to the funding necessary to ensure real
equality of opportunity. Ultimately,
such funding is the only measurable
standard and proven solution to ensure
that the rhetoric of opportunity for all
becomes a reality that offers hope to all.
We look forward to presenting these
arguments in person this fall.
12 Canadian Federation of Students

14. NOTES
1. Canadian Association of University Teachers, Education Review Vol. 3 No. 3. “The Growing
Funding Gap: Government expenditures on post-secondary education, 2000-01.”
2 Canadian Association of University Teachers, Education Review Vol. 2 No. 1. “Out of Reach:
Trends in household spending on education in Canada.”
3. Robinson, David & Andrew Jackson, Falling Behind: The state of working Canada, 2000.
4. Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Post Secondary Education Review (August 2000).
2001 Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance 13