They've got one hand in our pocket

By Jessica Perreault

perr0257@algonquincollege.com

Early this month the media confirmed that Ontario is now a “have-not” province.
While officials have been suggesting the possibility that the province was losing its superior standing in Canada since as early as 2005, it is only now residents can consider themselves part of a region with less and less at its fingertips.
With the recent shakeup in the economy and constant murmurs about rising tuition fees, Ontario students need to start thinking about what being part of a “have-not” province really means.
In a press conference held for journalism students in October, college president Bob Gillett suggested tuition fees are not high enough. According to Statistics Canada, however, Ontario students have seen a 4.7 per cent rise in their fees since last year and are paying some of the highest fees in the country, second only to Nova Scotia.
In a nation so centred on achieving an education to make a substantial mark in society, it’s almost impossible for individuals to succeed without some form of post-secondary training. The reality is, however, that attaining this education is becoming more and more impossible.
While politicians address education in their platforms, it is rarely at the forefront of important issues alongside health care and the environment. Education is often one of the first areas to be cut from, and the last one to see aid.
Students are graduating with loads of debt, which in today’s economy, will inevitably be prolonged. The means to satisfy this debt continues to diminish as the economy falls and the cost of living rises.
This generation of students are the leaders of tomorrow. They are the doctors, lawyers, trades people, healthcare providers, and politicians that will be answering the same questions that plague today’s society.
What kind of a world will Ontarians live in if these leaders do not have access to the necessary education needed to hone the skills of being successful leaders?
Those controlling our society need to stop and think about those who will be carrying their load in the decades to come.
As much as fancy cars, all-expense paid vacations, and delicately upholstered furniture make for an enjoyable lifestyle now, a world with no competent healthcare providers, trades people, and business associates is going to be anything but luxurious.
Today’s students are combating the hiccups of the “have-not” status, but the fact that they are already challenged with the load of achieving a nearly impossible education, with little to no support from officials, makes it hard to see why any of them care enough to be there for those who abandoned them in their time of need.
Previous generations have seen the results from economic crisis and gotten through them by banding together. Do we really need to go back to the war era, carrying placards and plastering propaganda everywhere encouraging a minimalist lifestyle just so there’s hope for tomorrow?
The bottom line is the students are tomorrow. It’s time some thought is given to them today or they might not be around to catch you when you fall tomorrow.