Anglophone student associations join forces in Quebec City on December 6

MONTREAL, Dec. 6 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the Minister of Education, Leisure and Sports, Ms. Line Beauchamp, is holding a consultation that will determine not whether tuition should increase, but by how much. The Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU), the McGill Post-Graduate Students' Society (PGSS), the Concordia Student Union (CSU), the Concordia Graduate Student Association (GSA), the Dawson Student Union (DSU), the Student Union of John Abbott College (SUJAC) as well as Free Education Montreal (FEM) are denouncing this illegitimate "consultation" that already has an end of decreasing accessibility to postsecondary education.

To the dismay of students, the main stakeholders in this debate, student representatives have too few seats in a meeting that will decide of the quality of their lives and those of future generations: "If the government wants to have a talk about a tuition increase they should make every effort to include the students" says CSU President Heather Lucas.

Research continues to demonstrate that increasing tuition reduces the accessibility of education for the less well-off, even when coupled with financial aid. "It is time for us to choose whether we want to live in a society that values the inclusion of the less well-off in its public institutions" said SSMU Vice President (External Affairs), Myriam Zaidi.

Finally, the SSMU, PGSS, CSU, GSA, DSU, SUJAC and FEM will reassert their stance against tuition increases and join thousands of students in Quebec City to protest this illegitimate "consultation" and, especially, its goals. "Although the government did not invite the students of the anglophone cégeps in Québec to his consultation of education partners," said DSU Chairperson Ariel Charney, "we will be there in number to show that education is not a luxury but a right."

The SSMU, PGSS, CSU, GSA, DSU, SUJAC and FEM represent more than 100,000 students.

For further information:

SSMU: Myriam Zaidi [phone]
PGSS: Ryan Hughes [phone]
CSU: Adrien Severyns [phone]
GSA: Holly Nazar [phone]
SUJAC: Arad Mojtahedi [phone] (5397)
Dawson Amanda Arella [phone]