Student
      Union
      Council
      Launches
     
     
      "Vote
      for
      Education
      Campaign"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tuesday,
      March
      2nd,
      1993
      -
      the
      U.P.E.1.
      Student
      Union
      Executive
      today
      launched
      a
      campaign
      that
      it
      hopes
     
     
      will
      encourage
      Islanders
      to
      make
      post-secondary
      education
      a
      major
      factor
      before
      they
      cast
      their
      ballots.
      Voters
     
     
      are
      being
      encouraged
      to
      only
      vote
      for
      candidates
      who
      will
      end
      the
      funding
      freeze
      at
      U.P.E.I.
      that
      is
      resulting
     
     
      skyrocketing
      tuition
      and
      other
      factors
      that
      are
      making
      it
      ever
      harder
      for
      students
      to
      make
      ends
      meet
      and
     
     
      continue
      their
      education.
      The
      problems
      students
      face
      in
      continuing
      their
      educations
      are
      made
      worse
      still
      by
     
     
      a
      provincial
      bursary
      program
      that
      is
      totally
      out
      of
      date.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      statement
      released
      by
      the
      Student
      Union
      Executive
      read
      as
      follows:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Students
      Ask
      Islanders
      to
     
     
      "Vote
      for
      Education"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      U.P.E.L.
      Student
      Union
      today
      launched
      a
      campaign
      to
      make
      education
      a
      major
      election
      issue.
     
     
      Students
      are
      asking
      Islanders
      to
      vote
      only
      for
      candidates
      who
      will
      work
      to
      keep
      post-secondary
      education
     
    
   
   
    
     
      possible
      for
      ordinary
      people.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Both
      action
      and
      inaction
      by
      the
      Provincial
      Government
      is
      making
      university
      education
      more
      difficult
     
     
      to
      earn.
      "Access
      to
      U.P.E.I.
      is
      slipping
      out
      of
      the
      reach
      of
      ordinary
      Islanders.
      If
      we
      are
      serious
      about
     
     
      bettering
      our
      economic
      situation,
      we
      cannot
      afford
      to
      let
      that
      happen,”
      commented
      U.P.E.I.
      Student
      Union
     
     
      President
      Michelle
      MacCallum.
      "We
      are
      faced
      with
      a
      government
      that
      thinks
      U.P.E.I.
      can
      continue
      to
      be
     
     
      available
      to
      ordinary
      students
      without
      proper
      funding
      and
      that
      post-secondary
      education
      is
      a
      cash
      cow
      that
     
     
      can
      be
      raided
      at
      will,
      "
      added
      MacCallum.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      present
      government's
      lack
      of
      meaningful
      emphasis
      on
      post-secondary
      education
      has
      never
      been
     
     
      more
      evident
      than
      through
      the
      "clawbacks"
      imposed
      on
      the
      University
      budget
      over
      the
      last
      two
      years.
      During
     
     
      1991-92,
      the
      Province
      had
      the
      University
      give
      up
      a
      staggering
      $600,000
      of
      its
      already
      granted
      but
      inadequate
     
     
      budget.
      This
      year
      the
      Province
      is
      trying
      to
      get
      an
      additional
      $375,000
      out
      of
      a
      University
      budget
      already
     
     
      strained
      to
      the
      last
      penny.
      Justification
      for
      such
      a
      move
      escapes
      students
      who
      are
      struggling
      to
      shoulder
     
     
      increasing
      tuition
      fees
      and
      many
      other
      necessary
      costs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      situation
      with
      Student
      Aid
      is
      equally
      serious.
      The
      Provincial
      Bursary
      Program
      provides
      needy
     
     
      students
      with
      inadequate
      amounts
      of
      money,
      and
      only
      those
      who
      are
      able
      to
      qualify
      for
      a
      full
      Canada
      Student
     
     
      Loan
      are
      eligible
      to
      apply
      for
      a
      bursary.
      Serious
      reform
      of
      the
      program
      is
      long
      overdue.
      "Even
      a
      relatively
     
     
      modest
      increase
      in
      the
      program
      would
      help
      many
      students
      who
      are
      struggling.
      Students
      are
      not
      looking
      for
     
     
      a
      free
      ride,
      they
      only
      want
      a
      chance
      to
      get
      an
      education,”
      added
      MacCallum.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "What
      we
      are
      asking
      Islanders
      to
      do
      this
      election
      is
      to
      remember
      education
      when
      they
      vote.
      P.E.I’s
     
     
      future
      is
      being
      mortgaged
      as
      U.P.E.I.
      moves
      out
      of
      the
      reach
      of
      ordinary
      Islanders.
      While
      we
      appreciate
      that
     
     
      the
      Government
      is
      cash-strapped,
      none
      of
      us
      can
      afford
      the
      consequences
      of
      U.P.E.I.
      being
      available
      only
      to
     
     
      the
      richest
      and
      luckiest.
      For
      the
      sake
      of
      P.E.I.’s
      future,
      we
      are
      asking
      Islanders
      to
      only
      vote
      for
      candidates
     
     
      who
      are
      prepared
      to
      keep
      education
      accessible
      to
      ordinary
      people,
      starting
      by
      increasing
      U.P.E.1’s
      budget
     
     
      instead
      of
      a
      freezing
      it
      and
      establishing
      a
      more
      realistic
      student
      aid
      program,"
      concluded
      MacCallum.
      For
     
     
      more
      information:
      contact
      Michelle
      MacCallum
      or
      Bruce
      Davison
      at
      (902)
      566-0530.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Forum
      on
      Post-Secondary
      Education
     
     
      The
      Student
      Union
      Executive
      also
      plans
      to
      organize
      a
      Forum
      on
      Post-Secondary
      Education
      on
     
     
      campus.
      It
      is
      hoped
      that
      the
      Forum
      will
      involve
      all
      three
      party
      leaders
      and
      be
      held
      on
      campus
      at
      1:30
      PM
     
     
      on
      Wednesday,
      March
      10th.
      All
      students,
      faculty,
      and
      people
      who
      are
      interested
      in
      education
      are
      invited.
     
    
   
   
    
     
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