On April 23 tens of thousands of students showed up to vote, many for the first time. Thank you to the every student who stood up to be counted in the election, and especially thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who signed up students, made thousands of phone calls and made sure students were able to cast their ballot on April 23.
A coalition of post-secondary education stakeholders including CAUS have commissioned a poll that indicates Albertans view the province’s post-secondary education system as fuelling economic growth, improving the quality of the health-care system, addressing labour shortages and strengthening communities.
The fact that a majority of Albertans say that the provincial government should spend more money on our post-secondary system underlines the degree of broad public support for post-secondary education.
The poll also indicates that Albertans are concerned about financial barriers to accessing post-secondary: mounting student debt loads and escalating costs were a concern for nearly two-thirds of respondents, and 61% of parents indicated that they were worried about how they would pay for their child’s education.
Our province stands at an important crossroads, one where the decisions we take today will have an enormous impact in the decades to come on choices facing our economy and our society. Our education system, from kindergarten all the way to post-secondary education is at the heart of many of those choices.
The upcoming provincial election and dialogue within our communities offer the perfect opportunity to talk about where our post-secondary education system is going, how it is inspiring Albertans to reach their potential and the needed supports and resources that are required to fulfill the promise of a post-secondary education that is high-quality, affordable, and accessible.
We met with decision-makers from across the province to reinforce that need, and provide solutions.
Alberta is a province with tremendous opportunity: our provincial government is debt free; we have unparalleled natural resources and beauty; and we have an economy that has weathered the economic downturn, ready to lead Canada in growth. Our post-secondary system is an important part of that opportunity and is well-placed to help overcome the challenges that we face.
Today, Alberta has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Canada; fewer Albertans go on to formal education than in any other province. This budget is the right moment to work on a goal we have been talking about for the past year: to improve our post-secondary participation rate.
Students recommend:
There is an opportunity to make real progress in our post-secondary education system. Alberta’s economy has weathered the recent economic downturn well, allowing us the available resources to meet the pressing challenges head-on. We are starting with a population base and a K-12 elementary system that allows us to prioritize post-secondary participation and completion rates to avoid a skilled labour shortage that will stifle innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth over the next decade.
Sadly, Alberta has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Canada – fewer Albertans go on to formal education than in any other province. CAUS sees this dismal statistic as an opportunity for Alberta. We are issuing a challenge to our province and its education system: to improve our post-secondary participation rate.
To do accomplish this goal we are suggesting the province take steps to reduce the financial barriers through the creation of a provincial grant program for post-secondary students as well as debt relief to encourage completion by graduates.
Alberta has the highest non-instructional mandatory fees in Canada, at $818 on top of tuition for the average undergraduate. This is due in large part to imposition of new fees at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary of $290 and $450 a year respectively. Those increases are permitted due to the government’s lax rules surrounding new fees.
The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) believes the Government of Alberta should immediately pass a regulation that covers non-instructional fees, providing limits and collegial mechanisms to govern the creation and increase of those fees, as well as a clear delineation between fees governed by the Tuition Fee Policy and those that are not.
Joint Proposal from AGC, ASEC and CAUS on Fees
Why Referenda is the Best Method of Setting Fees Setting the Rules on Fees
Voting is the basis of our democracy, the political act that gives the actions of the government their legitimacy and power. Unfortunately our most recent provincial election saw only 40.6% of eligible voters coming out to the polls and even fewer young Albertans. The democratic system itself is partially to blame for this poor turnout, particularly among post-secondary students. There are numerous barriers for students to get through in order to vote.
Fortunately, there are some clear and easy changes that the Government of Alberta and Elections Alberta can do before the next provincial election to make it easier for post-secondary students to vote. The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS), representing students at the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge are making five recommendations to break down the barriers to voting by Alberta’s post-secondary students.
