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Anna Thistle, Opposition Post-Secondary Education Critic
and MHA for Grand Falls - Buchans District, fears there will be tuition
increases at MUN and campus closures at CONA following concerns she raised
about the future of public post-secondary education in the province during
question period in the House of Assembly this afternoon.
"I asked the Minister of Education two serious questions
about issues facing students in the province today," said Thistle. "The
Minister danced around both questions and led me to believe he will force
campus closures and allow tuition increases behind the guise of the recently
commissioned White Paper.
"There are many valid concerns being raised by members
of student groups and the general public about the lack of a commitment from
this government to funding public post-secondary education. In the Blue
Book, the PC’s promised to continue the tuition freeze and provide
additional money to MUN and CONA as necessary to maintain programs. Comments
since that time indicate government will break these commitments in the next
budget."
The Liberal MHA specifically referenced Minister Tom
Hedderson’s comments in the October 17th edition of The
Independent when he said that campus closures at CONA were possible. "In the
October article and again today in this House, the Minister of Education
refused to deny that he plans to cut campuses and allow tuition increases.
In fact, he has given the impression that the public should expect both cuts
to campuses and increases in fees to take place.
"The Minister has to realize that government has an
obligation to invest in public post-secondary education. Forcing students to
carry unnecessary debt loads for programs at public institutions is
irresponsible and I ask that the Minister reconsider his planned cuts for
the future of high quality education in the province." |