From the Editors: Doesn't Make Cents
As we’ve reported in November, KPU is grossly underfunded compared to other universities, with a operating capability that is half the provincial average. It means longer class waitlist times, fewer available courses and in theory, a slower march to graduation.
Last year, the provincial government had this really super idea to cut adult basic education (ABE) funding and ESL funding. And more recently, they’ve allowed universities to charge tuition on those programs. KPU has recently decided to reflect the government’s decision by, indeed, charging that tuition this coming fall. Some of the faculty aren’t having it, and rightfully so. Intuitively, the university has to look for revenue there now, but those looking to upgrade basic education aren’t exactly swinging at the country club on a Sunday. This is a problem that some KPU faculty are rising against—the implementation of education barriers against people who need education the most.
It’s a problem that expands beyond simply being pushed forward a semester. We’re talking about debilitating those who are relying on upgrading courses, and in the long-run debilitating people who could contribute to B.C.’s economy in a greater capacity if the province would only invest in them. There is a cost to people who can’t bolster their employment viability. It means more people in entry-level jobs, with lower incomes and less buying power. It means the implicated will have a harder time moving up from low-skilled work. Most importantly, it means more people hard-pressed to support themselves. Hey, better education access actually might be a smart way to deal with that. But the Libs have another thing coming.
The population of the South Fraser region that KPU serves comprises 19.1 per cent of the province. Yet, when I asked the Ministry of Advanced Education about funding priorities, I was told that population was not a factor. Apparently, the demographics of that population isn’t a factor either.
Many immigrants live in the South Fraser region. In fact, this region is home to 25 per cent of B.C.’s visible minorities. The percentage of people in the region without English as their mother tongue is almost 90 per cent. Then, about 35 per cent of Grade 12 students in the region failed to write, or failed to pass their English 12 provincial exam. These are enormous, critical indicators of the need for the funding of basic education and ESL education, especially in this region. But barriers are being built to ABE and ESL. Students will need to pay about $1,600 a semester for these courses, courses that were once free.
To add insult to injury, advanced education minister Andrew Wilkinson told Alyssa Morton at The Navigator in February that cuts of about $7-million were needed to sustain post-secondary institutions. Compare that statement with the fact that the provincial government is projecting a $200-million surplus for next year.
