At
      Issue:
      Education...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      P.
      C.
      record
     
     
      and
      election
     
     
      platform
      on
     
     
      education
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      time
      of
      great
      uncertainty
      and
      change
      in
     
    

    
     
      education.
      This
      uncertainty
      can
      be
      felt
     
     
      on
      campuses
      from
      St.
      John’s
      to
      Victoria.
      Stu-
     
     
      dents
      at
      universities,
      colleges,
      and
      institutes
      are
     
     
      attempting
      to
      cope
      with
      tuition
      fees
      that
      rou-
     
     
      tinely
      increase
      annually
      at
      two
      to
      three
      times
     
     
      the
      rate
      of
      inflation
      or
      moreandstudent
      aid
      that
     
     
      falls
      far
      short
      of
      an
      education’s
      actual
      cost.
     
     
      Meanwhile,
      Faculty
      and
      staff
      are
      attempting
      to
     
     
      provide
      quality
      education
      with
      shrinking
      budg-
     
     
      ets.
      A
      wide
      variety
      of
      possible
      solutions
      have
     
     
      been
      proposed
      to
      deal
      with
      these
      crises.
      These
     
     
      “solutions”
      range
      from
      granting
      overdue
      in-
     
     
      creases
      to
      educational
      funding
      and
      student
      aid
     
     
      to
      doubling
      tuition
      fees
      and
      tying
      greatly
      in-
     
     
      creased
      student
      loans
      to
      new
      repayment
     
     
      schemes;
      however,
      perhaps
      the
      most
      important
     
     
      question
      to
      be
      asking
      this
      Fall
      is
      this
      -
      what
      are
     
     
      the
      political
      parties
      issuing
      as
      their
      education
     
     
      policy
      and
      if
      elected,
      what
      will
      they
      do
      to
     
     
      address
      the
      crises
      in
      education?
     
    

    
     
      Any
      serious
      look
      at
      educational
      issues
      in
     
     
      this
      election
      must
      begin
      with
      the
      Conservatives.
     
     
      After
      nine
      years
      in
      power,
      their
      record
      con-
     
     
      cerning
      education
      is
      despised
      by
      many
      students
     
     
      and
      administrators.
      During
      their
      time
      in
      office
     
     
      there
      has
      been
      no
      increase
      in
      the
      maximum
     
     
      amount
      available
      to
      students
      through
      the
      Canada
     
     
      Student
      Loans
      Program
      (CSLP).
      The
      funding
      of
     
     
      education
      by
      the
      Federal
      Government
      through
     
     
      transfer
      payments
      has
      been
      frozen
      at
      the
      1989
     
     
      level
      (allowing
      only
      for
      very
      small
      increases
     
     
      based
      on
      population
      growth).
      This
      limiting
      of
     
     
      transfer
      funds
      for
      education
      has
      resulted
      in
      an
     
     
      estimated
      loss
      of
      revenue
      to
      educational
      insti-
     
     
      tutions
      of
      $6.8
      billion
      (Canadian
      Federation
      of
     
     
      Students
      figures).
      This
      is
      money
      that
      would
     
     
      have
      been
      granted
      to
      provinces
      for
      education
     
     
      (and
      health
      care)
      if
      normally
      expected
      inflation-
     
     
      ary
      growth
      had
      been
      allowed.
      In
      other
      words,
     
     
      the
      actual
      value
      of
      universities’
      and
      colleges’
     
     
      budgets
      has
      decreased
      by
      that
      amount
      and
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      z
      his
      Autumn’s
      Federal
      Election
      comes
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      shortfall
      is
      the
      excuse
      cited
      most
      frequently
      by
     
     
      the
      Provincial
      Government
      when
      trying
      to
      ex-
     
     
      plain
      heavy
      tuition
      increases.
     
    

    
     
      Two
      other
      Federal
      Government
      measures
     
     
      have
      proven
      even
      less
      popular.
      The
      first
      was
      the
     
     
      imposition
      of
      a
      universally
      criticized
      three
      per-
     
     
      cent
      “guarantee
      fee”
      (the
      widely
      hated
      “3%
     
     
      Tax”)
      on
      Canada
      Student
      Loans
      (eliminated
      this
     
     
      past
      Summer).
      The
      second
      measure
      was
      the
     
     
      elimination
      of
      the
      six
      month
      interest-free
      pe-
     
     
      riod
      that
      was
      formerly
      granted
      to
      students
      after
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "We
      have
      upheld
      our
     
     
      commitment
      despite
      the
     
     
      pressing
      need
      to
      control
     
    

    
     
      spending
      and
      get
      the
      deficit
     
     
      down."
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      graduation.
      The
      six
      month
      grace
      period
      was
     
     
      eliminated
      in
      legislation
      that
      was
      passed
      this
     
     
      Spring
      after
      a
      near-revolt
      in
      the
      Tory
      Caucus
      in
     
     
      the
      Senate
      threatened
      to
      derail
      the
      legislation.
     
     
      This
      near-revolt
      came
      after
      almost
      unprec-
     
     
      edented
      noise
      made
      by
      student
      groups.
      Conse-
     
     
      quently,
      reforms
      to
      Student
      Loans
      are
      at
      the
     
     
      heart
      of
      the
      Conservative
      election
      platform
     
     
      concerning
      education.
      A
      wide
      range
      of
      further
     
     
      reforms
      are
      proposed
      for
      the
      program
      (that
     
     
      over
      40%
      of
      U.P.E.l.
      students
      depend
      on
      to
     
     
      some
      degree).
      The
      major
      points
      of
      the
      reforms
     
     
      package
      are:
     
    

    
     
      *
      —
      Eligibility
      criteria
      for
      Student
      Loans
      would
     
     
      be
      tightened.
      With
      some
      “flexibility”
      minimum
     
     
      course
      loads
      would
      increase
      from
      60%
      to
      80%
     
     
      (three
      to
      four-courses
      in
      U.P.E.I.’s
      case);
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      would
      have
      to
      be
      enrolled
      in
      a
      specific
     
     
      program
      of
      study
      leading
      to
      a
      degree,
      diploma,
     
     
      or
      certificate;
      and
      60%
      of
      a
      full
      course
      load
     
     
      would
      have
      to
      be
      “successfully
      completed.”
     
    

    
     
      *
      Student
      Loans
      would
      be
      available
      for
      the
     
     
      length
      of
      time
      indicated
      by
      the
      institution
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      complete
      a
      program,
      plus
      one
      year.
     
    

    
     
      *
      —
      Various
      measures
      would
      be
      attempted
      to
     
    

    
     
      work
      with
      the
      Provinces
      to
      harmonize
      and
     
    

    
     
      standardize
      student
      assistance.
     
    

    
     
      *
       Anincrease
      inthe
      maximum
      weekly
      amount
      °
     
     
      available
      from
      $105
      to
      $150
      (again,
      this
      would
     
    

    
     
      be
      the
      first
      increase
      in
      nine
      years
      -
      a
      time
      during
     
    

    
     
      which
      Canadian
      tuition
      fees
      rose
      by
      93-360%).
     
    

    
     
      x
      A
      program
      offering
      grants
      to
      women
     
    

    
     
      pursuing
      doctoral
      studies
      would
      be
      established.
     
    

    
     
      Physical
      and
      applied
      sciences,
      engineering,
      and
     
    

    
     
      mathematics
      would
      be
      specifically
      targeted
      and
     
    

    
     
      in
      1994-95
      up
      to
      300
      women
      would
      each
      be
     
    

    
     
      granted
      up
      to
      $3000
      (projected
      to
      increase
      to
     
    

    
     
      1250
      women
      by
      1997-98).
     
    

    
     
      “Risk
      sharing
      with
      lenders”
      would
      be
     
    

    
     
      introduced.
      Basically,
      this
      means
      that
      the
      Fed-
     
    

    
     
      eral
      Government
      would
      stop
      fully
      guaranteeing
     
    

    
     
      Canada
      Student
      Loans
      to
      issuing
      banks.
      Banks
     
    

    
     
      would
      assume
      some
      of
      the
      risk
      and
      presumably
     
    

    
     
      more
      say
      in
      the
      program.
      This
      process
      has
      also
     
    

    
     
      been
      referred
      to
      as
      the
      privatization
      of
      the
     
    

    
     
      program.
      Many
      people
      are
      alarmed
      by
      this
      and
     
    

    
     
      see
      it
      as
      the
      first
      step
      in
      government
      desertion
     
    

    
     
      of
      Student
      Loans,
      while
      others
      see
      it
      as
      a
     
    

    
     
      necessary
      step
      to
      increase
      the
      efficiency
      or
     
    

    
     
      availability
      of
      the
      program.
     
    

    
     
      =
      Finally,
      the
      Federal
      Government
      would
     
    

    
     
      change
      the
      way
      interest
      is
      calculated
      for
      loan
     
    

    
     
      repayment.
      Currently,
      the
      interest
      charged
      on
     
    

    
     
      a
      student
      loan
      is
      calculated
      using
      5-10
      year
      bond
     
    

    
     
      yields
      which
      are
      consolidated
      for
      the
      period
      of
     
     
      repayment.
      The
      Tories
      propose
      to
      base
      it
     
    

    
     
      instead
      on
      a
      “Floating
      rate,
      based
      on
      lender
     
    

    
     
      prime,
      with
      a
      ceiling
      or
      fixed
      rate
      with
      base
      and
     
    

    
     
      ceiling
      to
      be
      negotiated.”
      This
      statement
      is
     
    

    
     
      fairly
      confusing
      (maybe
      only
      to
      me,
      though)
      but
      -
     
     
      it
      is
      clear
      that
      the
      interest
      on
      Student
      Loans
     
     
      would
      be
      more
      subject
      to
      actual
      bank
      rates.
     
    

    
     
      These
      items
      of
      the
      Conservative
      plat-
     
     
      form
      were
      released
      over
      the
      summer
      and
      |
     
     
      response,
      at
      least
      from
      students
      and
      student
     
     
      groups,
      has
      not
      been
      overwhelming.
      To
      the
     
     
      best
      of
      my
      knowledge,
      the
      Conservatives
      have
     
     
      not
      really
      addressed
      education
      funding,
      except
     
     
      to
      say
      the
      following
      (in
      an
      election
      policy
      hand-
     
     
      book
      that
      someone
      at
      Tom
      MacMillan’s
      cam-
     
     
      paign
      office
      looked
      up
      education
      in)
     
    

    
     
      “We
      remain
      committed
      to
      post-sec-
     
     
      ondary
      education.
      We
      have
      upheld
      our
      com-
     
     
      mitment
      despite
      the
      pressing
      need
      to
      control
     
     
      spending
      and
      get
      the
      deficit
      down.”
      (I
      think
      |
     
     
      better
      keep
      my
      own
      opinions
      on
      that
      statement
     
     
      out
      of
      this
      article.)
     
    

    
     
      While
      these
      reforms
      are
      substantial
      changes
     
     
      to
      the
      CSLP,
      the
      Conservatives
      may
      find
      they
     
     
      havea
      difficult
      time
      convincing
      many
      people
      that
     
     
      oppose
      their
      record
      on
      education
      that
      theseare
     
     
      changes
      in
      the
      right
      directions.
      On
      the
      other
     
     
      side,
      there
      are
      people
      who
      believe
      that
      main-
     
     
      taining
      the
      Conservative
      course
      on
      education
      is
     
     
      simply
      responsible
      deficit
      control.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Coming
      next
      issue
      (due
      out
      in
      two
      weeks):
     
    

    
     
      The
      education
      policies
      presented
      by
      the
      other
     
     
      parties.
     
    

    
     
      BRUCE
      DAVISON
     
    

    
     
      September
      23,
      1993/X-Press/5