burden
      of
      the
      numerous
     
     
      cuts
      to
      education
      funds.
     
     
      McLauchlan
      was
      proud
      to
     
     
      say,
      that
      although
      hit
      by
      an
     
     
      89%
      rise
      in
      tuition
      in
      the
     
     
      last
      10
      years,
      anda
      3%
      drop
     
     
      in
      grants,
      the
      university
     
     
      (UPEI)
      had
      succeeded
      in
     
     
      improving
     
     
      in
      od
     
     
      maintaining
     
     
      the
      calibre
     
     
      of
      the
     
     
      education
     
     
      expected
     
     
      and
      received
     
     
      by
      its
     
     
      students.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Our
      Department
      of
     
     
      Education
      has
      enjoyed
      a
     
     
      good
      relationship
      with
      the
     
     
      university,”
      said
      Gillan,
     
     
      who
      admitted
      that
      Canada
     
     
      Health
      and
      Social
      Transfers
     
     
      (CHST)
      had
      not
      been
     
     
      kind
      to
      the
      province
      or
     
     
      its
      institutions.
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      past,
     
     
      UPEI
      asked
      for
      a
      long
     
     
      term
      financial
      strategy
     
     
      from
      the
      Department
      of
     
     
      Education,
      but
      this
     
     
      strategy
      may
      not
      have
     
     
      been
      as
      successful
      as
     
     
      expected,
      Gillan
      said
     
     
      that
      the
      provincial
     
     
      government
      had
      done
      its
     
     
      best
      to
      satisfy
      the
     
     
      university's
      requirements.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      government
     
     
      has
      the
      responsibility
      to
     
     
      deliver
      money
      to
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education,”
      said
     
     
      Maddix,
      who
      insisted
      that
     
     
      it
      is
      up
      to
      the
      current
     
     
      provincial
      government
      to
     
     
      decide
      where
      the
      extra
      100
     
     
      million
      dollars
      added
      to
     
     
      the
      provincial
      coffers
     
     
      should
      be
      allocated.
      “The
     
     
      dollars
      are
      there,”
      he
     
     
      insisted.
      “It
      is
      a
      matter
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      using
      [them].”
     
     
      Although
      the
     
     
      Federal
      government,
      claims
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      be
      putting
      money
      back
     
    
   
   
    
     
      into
      education,
     
     
      MacLauchlan
      believes
      that
     
     
      programs
      such
      as
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Millennium
      Scholarship
     
     
      Fund
      come
      as
      a
      mixed
     
     
      blessing
      and
      do
      very
      little
     
     
      to
      help
      students.
     
    

    
     
      The
      terms
      of
      these
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      scholarships
      came
      as
      a
     
     
      surprise
      to
      several
      students.
     
     
      Many
      expected
      to
      use
      the
     
     
      money
      to
      pay
      for
      their
     
     
      current
      tuition,
      but
      rather
     
     
      were
      forced
      to
      put
      those
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      federal
      dollars
      towards
     
     
      their
      student
      debt.
      This,
     
     
      according
      to
      students,
      may
     
     
      be
      of
      some
      help
      in
      the
     
     
      long
      run,
      but
      does
     
     
      very
      little
      to
      help
      them
     
     
      in
      their
      current
     
     
      academic
      endeavours.
     
    

    
     
      Similarly,
     
     
      Maddix
      believes
      that
     
     
      education
      officials
     
     
      should
      discredit
      the
     
     
      belief
      that
      only
     
     
      students
      are
     
     
      responsible
      for
      their
     
     
      success.
      Provincial
      and
     
     
      Federal
      governments
     
     
      should
      play
      an
      active
      role
     
     
      in
      developing
      the
      skills
      for
     
     
      the
      future
      work
      force,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Maddix
      contneds.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gillan
      echoed
     
     
      MacLauchlan’s
      view
      on
     
     
      the
      Millennium
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Scholarship
      Fund
      ,
      as
      he
     
     
      pointed
      that
      student
      debt
     
     
      only
      shows
      its
      ugly
      face
     
     
      after
      graduation.
     
     
      Therefore,
      financial
      relief
     
     
      should
      be
      granted
      to
     
     
      students
      in
      order
      to
     
     
      prevent
      such
      a
      financial
     
     
      handicap,
      rather
      than
     
     
      trying
      to
      eliminate
      it
      after
     
     
      the
      completion
      of
      one’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      degree.
      This
      would
     
     
      reduce
      interest
      on
      the
     
     
      usually
      —
      substantial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      amount
      owed.
     
    

    
     
      Maddix
      on
      the
     
     
      other
      hand
      believes
      the
     
     
      Millennium
      Scholarship
     
     
      Fund
      may
      be
      a
      solution
     
     
      to
      reducing
      student
      debt,
     
     
      but
      perhaps
      it
      is
      not
      the
     
     
      whole
      solution.
     
     
      MacLauchlan
      also
     
     
      pointed
      to
      the
      fact
     
     
      that
      up
      to
      85%
      of
     
     
      federal
      money
      to
     
     
      be
      invested
      in
     
     
      research
      will
      be
     
     
      distributed
     
     
      amongst
      the
      10
     
     
      richest
      universities
     
     
      in
      Canada,
      leaving
     
     
      small
      institutions
     
     
      such
      as
      UPEI
      out
      of
      the
     
     
      loop
      and
      forcing
      them
      to
     
     
      find
      alternative
      funding
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      maintain
      quality
      research
     
     
      on
      its
      campus.
     
    

    
     
      “Post
      secondary
     
     
      education
      has
      paid
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      most
      for
      [budgetary]
     
     
      cuts,”
      said
      MacLauchlan,
     
     
      “land
      this
      is
      a]
      failure
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      value
      post
      secondary
     
     
      education.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Maddix
      agrees.
      “It
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      a
      matter
      of
      setting
     
    
   
   
    
     
      priorities,
      and_
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education
      is
      a
     
     
      priority
      for
      PEI.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      post-secondary
     
     
      education
      does
      not
      only
     
     
      depend
      on
      government
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      funding,
      and
      _
      the
     
     
      increasingly
      noticeable
     
     
      presence
      of
      privatization
     
     
      can
      be
      seen
      on
      many
     
     
      campuses
      across
      the
     
     
      country,
      including
      UPEI.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      is
      no
     
     
      question
      that
      we
      are
      in
      a
     
     
      crisis...
      as
      there
      is
      a
      drive
     
     
      towards
      privatization
      and
     
     
      deregulation,”
      said
     
     
      Broderick,
      who
      fears
      that
     
     
      accessibility
      to
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education
      for
     
     
      many
      students
      is
      being
     
     
      threatened
      by
      _
      these
     
     
      factors.
     
    

    
     
      “[They]
      move
      to
     
     
      eliminate
      students
     
     
      from
      post-secondary
     
     
      opportunities.”
      His
     
     
      point
      was
      illustrated
     
     
      with
      examples
      of
     
     
      students
      who
      are
     
     
      contractually
      bound
     
     
      by
      confidentiality
     
     
      policies
      for
      research
     
     
      subsidized
      by
     
     
      particular
      corporate
     
     
      donors.
     
    

    
     
      Private
      enterprises
     
     
      are
      part
      of
      society
      and
     
     
      therefore
      they
      cannot
      be
     
     
      ignored,
      explained
      Gillan.
     
     
      Nevertheless,
      Gillan
      believes
     
     
      that
      although
      the
      private
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sector
      should
      be
     
     
      encouraged
      to
      participate
     
     
      in
      funding
      public
     
     
      institution,
      there
      should
      be
     
     
      nostrings
      attached
      to
      these
     
     
      corporate
      donations,
      and
     
     
      universities
      should
      be
     
     
      entitled
      to
      spend
      the
     
     
      money
      as
      they
      feel
      necessary
     
     
      in
      order
      to
      improve
      the
     
     
      quality
      of
      their
     
     
      services.
     
     
      Broderick,
     
     
      who
      claims
     
     
      Canada
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      last
      OECD
     
     
      countries
      to
     
     
      charge
      tuition
     
     
      fees,
     
     
      Canadian
     
     
      students
      should
     
     
      not
      be
      forced
      to
      pay
      for
     
     
      quality
      post-secondary
     
     
      education,
      and
      that
      the
     
     
      federal
      and_
      provincial
     
     
      governments
      should
      strive
     
    
   
   
    
     
      believes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      eliminate
      tuition
      fees.
     
    

    
     
      Although,
      Gillan
     
     
      believes
      this
      would
      be
      ideal,
     
     
      the
      Education
      Minister
     
     
      does
      not
      believe
      everything
     
     
      could
      be
      free.
     
    

    
     
      Maddixagrees
      with
     
     
      Broderick.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      is
      money
     
     
      in
      this
      country
      and
      this
     
     
      province,”
      explained
     
     
      Maddix,
      “to
      fund
      any
     
     
      student
      who
      wants
      to
     
     
      attend
      university.”
     
     
      Students,
      Maddix
      insisted,
     
     
      are
      being
      denied
      access
      to
     
     
      public
      education
      at
      the
     
     
      post-secondary
      level,
      not
     
     
      because
      of
      a
      lack
      of
     
     
      funding,
      but
      rather
      an
     
     
      inadequate
      use
      of
      it.
     
    

    
     
      Continued
     
     
      involvement
      from
      the
      PEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      government,
      and
      an
     
     
      increased
      activity
      of
     
     
      students
      will
      hopefully
      set
     
     
      the
      stage
      for
      an
     
     
      improvement
      in
      _
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education
      on
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      in
      the
     
     
      near
      future.
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