Student unions among those raising the alarm, over what’s considered latest attack.
A controversial bill affecting student unions could student be voted upon in legislature.
Introduced on May. 29, Bill 33, also known as the Supporting Children and Students Act, is a wide-ranging legislative proposal aimed at changing key aspects of child, youth, and family services, as well as the education system.
While student unions in colleges and universities, as well as the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), have voiced strong opposition to Bill 33, the Ontario government maintains that the bill is meant to increase transparency and trust in post-secondary education.
“When students choose Ontario’s world-class colleges and universities to pursue their post-secondary education, they deserve to know where their fees are going, what criteria they need for admission, and how their research will be protected. If passed, this bill would ensure transparency and foster better trust in our post-secondary education system. As promised, we will be consulting with the sector to understand what fees could or should be optional, what current admissions policies look like, and what research security practices can be enhanced in a way that does not disrupt the delivery of a world-class education,” said Dayna Smockum, direction of communications with the office of the minister of colleges, universities, research excellence, and security.
“There will always be pathways for students of all backgrounds and abilities to access post-secondary education and no regulations will come until consultation has concluded. As we always have, we are going to continue supporting the sector to ensure that postsecondary students can get the skills they need to launch rewarding careers.”
While the government does believe in the Bill they intend to put forward, members of the Student Association of George Brown College (SAGBC) board of directors, believe the bill has a detrimental impact to the organizations serving students.
“The biggest concerns are the control of ancillary and students’ fees, which affects services like SNAP, The Dialog, and other support systems the Students Association has in place to assist students,” said Toby Lew, director of education & equity.
He added, “our second major concern is the government’s introduction of oversight into our academic spaces, including a requirement for administration to reveal their admission process.
This oversteps the government’s role, undermines our independence, and implies that we are not admitting students based on merit.”
Lew wants everyone to be aware that this not only undermines the colleges’ independence but also casts doubt on the fairness of admissions, potentially threatening the ongoing effort to maintain diversity and equity within the student body.
Lew added that in 2019, CFS Ontario and the students’ union successfully challenged the students’ choice initiative(SCI) in court because the government overstepped its authority.
In addition to the concern from the SAGBC, CFS believes the bill will have large impacts across education
“Bill 33 is large and lacks specificity, and yet if implemented, it will impact all aspects of education at all levels in Ontario, all while superseding all previous legislation,” said Cyrielle Ngeleka, the CFS chairperson. “While education in Ontario remains chronically and detrimentally underfunded, with students and workers across the province facing program cuts and mass layoffs, the current government continues to make it clear that addressing the needs of students and supporting campuses is not a priority.”
CFS believes the provincial government should focus on supporting students and campuses rather than introducing changes that undermine campus and institutional autonomy. Ngeleka argues that such measures only serve to distract from holding the government accountable for its long-standing neglect of the education system and will ultimately harm students.
Ngeleka and Lew both conclude that Bill 33 could significantly affect underrepresented students.
The SAGBC, alongside other student unions, are working to fight Bill 33, but they need students to get involved.
Students are encouraged to join campaigns like Hands Off Our Education, help organize events, and actively participate to oppose Bill 33.
