8/4/2019 CFS Ontario 2011 Progressive Conservative Party Report Card on PSE

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TAKE IT OVER! 2011 ONTARIO ELECTIONSREPORT CARD

PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTYTIM HUDAK

Te PC party released their platform in May, 2011. Tey have made oneannouncement since then that related to post-secondary education. Forthe full copy of their platform, visit ontariopc.orgor go to take-it-over.ca.

OVERALLGRADE:

DTHE ANALYSIS

AFFORDABILITY

Te promise to create up to 60,000new spaces is identical to thepromise made by the Liberal

government in the 2011 Ontariobudget. If these spaces are created by

2015-2016, the estimated cost for thisinitiative would be $300 million annually.

While increasing the physical capacityof colleges and universities in Ontariois necessary to keep up with demand,students are concerned that such a promiseis being made without addressing the high

cost of attending college or university.Te PCs have barely addressed the issueof aordability by promising to raise theparental income benchmark for OntarioStudent Assistance Program (OSAP)eligibility. It is unclear whether this meansthat more students from middle-incomefamilies would have access to grants orsimply more student debt.

Te PC platform makes no mention oftuition fees. Tis is a signicant gap intheir education policy. Ontario students

pay the highest tuition fees in the countryand have been faced with a 34 to 59 percent increase in tuition fees since 2006.

Tere is also no mention of upfrontnancial assistance for students, nor anysignicant changes to OSAP that wouldreduce student debt.

As a result of being silent on tuition

fees, the PC platform receives an F fromstudents for this item.

Te announcement to extend OSAP tomore middle-income students, withoutany details about whether this support

will be in the form of more grants ratherthan loans, the PC platform earns a D.

Te PCs receive an overall grade of D- foraordability.

FUNDING & QUALITY

Te PC promises to fully fund60,000 new student spaces in thepost-secondary education sector.However, they do not commit tocreating a funding framework forthe sector. Since Ontario spends 24 percent less per student on post-secondaryeducation than the national average, thelack of a substantial plan is of concern forOntarios students. Te platform also lacksany mention of how a PC government

would improve the quality of educationin colleges and universities. Tere is no

mention of hiring more professors oraddressing large class sizes.

Students have identied that ballooningclass sizes and less face-time with facultyleads to a reduction in the quality ofeducation provided at institutions. Because

A Tim Hudkgovernment wilcreate u to 60,000

po-econdry sacein Ontario.

We wil raie thethreo on fnancia

uort to makeit more aeibeor mie-aamiie to en theirien to colege oruniverity.

CANADIAN

FEDERATION OF

STUDENTS-ONTARIOTAKE-IT-OVER.CANOTE Each of the report cards have been created with the most up-to-datecontent at the time of printing. If there are additional announcements that aectstudents throughout the campaign period, the report card may change accordingly.Visit take-it-over.ca for updates throughout the election campaign period.

GRADE:

D+

8/4/2019 CFS Ontario 2011 Progressive Conservative Party Report Card on PSE

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We wil en the DatonMcGuinty Libera oreignoari program that

put oreign uent aheao Ontario uent. Wewil reinve thoe un inour uent inea.

A Tim Hudkgovernment wil createmore than 200,000 newarenticei sace over

our ear.

We wil reuce theratio o journemen toarentice, makin it 1 to 1to put more ile workeron the job.

CANADIA

FEDERATION O

STUDENTS-ONTARIO

TAKE-IT-OVER.CA

the PC platform did not address quality,but does promise to fund growth, theirplatform has received a D+ on fundingand quality.

RESEARCH

Te PC platform makes nearly nopromises that relate to researchor graduate students. Under thecurrent government, graduate

students pay the highest tuition feesin the country and research opportunitieshave become harder to obtain. Te PCshave made no indication that they wouldinvest in graduate studies or publicly-funded research.

Students are encouraged by thePC pledge to review boards andcommissions for waste, and the Higher

Education Quality Council of Ontariowill be among those examined. For this,students give the PCs a D.

STUDENT RIGHTS

& PROTECTION

Te PC platform does not addressany of the issues that students are

concerned about rights, protectionsor accountability.

While students have been calling to

extend Ontario Health Insurance Plan(OHIP) coverage to internationalstudents, the PCs have been aggressivein their opposition to providing anyfunding to international students. TePC platform does have a broad policyon government accountability andinnovation, but the components of thepolicy will not likely aect the post-secondary sector.

Te only indication that the PC party will support some protection forstudents was the support of the PCcaucus for a vote to extend the purviewof the Ontario Ombudsman to includeuniversity oversight, in May 2011.

Because of the support that the PCcaucus has given to extending theoversight of universities to Ontariouniversities, the PC party receives a D.

TAKE IT OVER!2011 ONTARIO ELECTIONS REPORT CARD

PROGRESSIVECONSERVATIVE

TIM HUDAK

OVERALLGRADE

GRADE:D

D