McGill statement on student protest
The Quebec government's offer to enhance the student aid program is a positive step in the right direction and student leaders should not be quick to dismiss it, according to Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal of McGill University.
"The government's offer sends an encouraging signal and demonstrates a real willingness to address flaws in the loans and bursaries program," Principal Munroe-Blum said.
"The government's offer should be viewed as a worthwhile first step toward creating a progressive funding framework for Quebec universities. We must be able to ensure that all qualified students can attend university regardless of their financial means, and that Quebec universities are competitive and offer the highest quality education.
"We encourage student leaders to continue the dialogue with government and seize this opportunity to promote meaningful discussions on building greater accessibility and quality."
Simply restoring the $103 million to the student aid program will not guarantee the accessibility and quality that Quebecers deserve. Quebec university participation has long been below the Canadian average despite being the jurisdiction with the lowest tuition.
"McGill's position has been clear on the need for both accessibility and quality," said Munroe-Blum, adding that it was outlined in detail before the Quebec Commission on Quality, Accessibility and Funding of Universities in February 2004. McGill's position states that no qualified student should be denied access to university for lack of financial means — access that McGill cannot currently guarantee — and that universities must be adequately funded to ensure quality.
The current funding framework in Quebec ensures neither. It does not guarantee access to all qualified students who come from the poorest families, even before the $103-million cut to student aid, and, funding levels do not ensure that quality can be maintained. Simply restoring the loans and bursaries program, as the students are demanding, will not ensure both accessibility and quality.
Munroe-Blum said that the university system in Quebec is seriously underfunded and the funding framework must be redesigned to achieve the highest levels of both accessibility and quality.
Quebec subsidizes universities at a very high per-student level; however, in great part because tuition has been frozen and has not kept up even with cost of living increases, Quebec universities are underfunded. This system benefits primarily middle-class and wealthy families and does not guarantee that students from poor families can access higher education.
Devoting a portion of the funds generated by increased tuition to significantly increase the loans and bursaries program for students in need would go a long way to addressing many of the problems that Quebec universities and their students currently face. And government must continue to play its part.
"This is an opportunity to begin to address, as a society and in a meaningful way, Quebec's low participation rates and the myth that frozen tuition translates into accessibility, and to take steps toward a meaningful reform of the funding framework in Quebec."
The strike by students comes at a critical time in the academic year.
"For many of our students at McGill, it is essential that their academic year not be disrupted. They have worked hard and invested precious time and money in their education and there is too much at risk to jeopardize their academic year," said Munroe-Blum.
McGill students today voted for a voluntary one-day protest on Friday. Students agreed to respect the wishes of those who decide to strike, as well as those who choose to continue with their classes. Munroe-Blum said McGill classes will continue as usual and she urged all students to respect the wishes of those who do not want to disrupt their studies.
