FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, ON – OPSEU/SEFPO joined the bittersweet chorus on yesterday’s announcement from the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES), welcoming new funding as a decision overdue by nearly a decade—although conversely it still leaves Ontario in last place.
“Since taking power in 2018, the Ford government has been more than happy to build on the Liberals’ legacy of driving post-secondary education into the ground,” said JP Hornick, OPSEU/SEFPO President. “This investment is coming now because workers, students, and families have raised hell over the past year, and are outraged to see programs, opportunities, and good jobs leaving their communities.”
“It still isn’t enough to close the gap for colleges or universities, but this is not a stand-down moment,” added Hornick. “This is a milestone in our shared fight for public education.”
According to the CCPA, even with the new funding, this “generational” investment will leave Ontario far behind. The plan also introduces a two-tier funding model: a handful of “priority programs” will receive most of the new money over the next four years, while others get only a modest increase.
Absent “priority program” funding, OPSEU/SEFPO estimates the changes may lift provincial per student funding for colleges only to about 59 per cent of the rest of Canada, up from 54 per cent. That still places Ontario at the bottom among provinces.
It remains unclear which programs will be designated as priorities—or who will make that call. OPSEU/SEFPO warns that if the process mirrors past funding initiatives such as the contentious Skills Development Fund, where political considerations were alleged to influence decisions, the outcome may serve insiders more than students or the broader economy.
“A government serious about improving student outcomes would focus on making funding competitive and education more affordable, not pinning provincial failures to the federal level,” added Hornick. “It’s hard to recover from two decades of underfunding, but that’s where we need to be going if we want a stable, G7-leading post-secondary education sector, and to avoid labour shortages and more young people leaving the province.”
Last year, Ontario’s youth unemployment rate spiked to a nine-year high. A recent public opinion poll found that 3 in 4 Ontarians anticipate widespread job losses in the next 5 years.
“Growing pressure on student financial assistance is a symptom of growing precarity,” said Hornick. “So why is Ford raising tuition and saddling graduates with more OSAP debt?”
“Public and post-secondary education in Ontario is being bled dry,” added Hornick. “There is an elegant solution: re-direct SDF funds misappropriated for low-scoring projects to student grants and drive down the cost of tuition. Level the playing field for all Ontarians – not just friends of Ford’s cabinet.”
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OPSEU/SEFPO Communications