Letter to the Editor published in The Brunswickan (Fredericton), 18 September 2003
I couldn’t help but notice the ‘Got Tuition’ posters all over our campus. I applaud the student union for raising the profile of tuition barriers to education. But I’m not sure a 50-50 raffle is the solution.
If we’re going to discuss a tuition credit, why don’t we talk about a tuition credit for every student at UNB?
That’s exactly how the deal works in France, Ireland, Austria and many other European countries. In fact, the government pays your tuition and provides a monthly grant to cover housing and food. I’m not making this up.
Let me emphasize that the system over there is not perfect. Many students are streamed into the trades at an early age and prevented from attending university. But this European model of funding post-secondary (what they call ‘tertiary’) education should be seriously considered by decision-makers in New Brunswick.
People will say this is utopian, that the money isn’t there. I don’t buy it. Our country is wealthy, among the richest in the world, in terms of its natural resources and its people. The problem is how this immense wealth is distributed. If the Irving empire shared even a tiny portion of its billions, there would be jobs, opportunity, and free post-secondary/tertiary education for every person in this province.
The hard part is organizing students and communities to fight for their rights.
Got Tuition? Don’t mourn. Organize.
