Feet Planted in Concrete to Protest Minister Courchesne's Inaction

Students want $35 million in allowed expenses indexation.

MONTREAL, March 9 /CNW Telbec/ - Protesting Minister Courchesne's lack of action on the $35 million in withheld grants, three student members of the Coalition régionale des étudiants de Montréal (CREM) sank their feet into the concrete in front of the ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) offices this morning.

Minister Courchesne remained evasive, as always, after the federal government transferred funds from the Canada Student Grants Program (CSGP) this past February 3. What will become of the additional $35 million that the provincial government is expected to receive from Ottawa is unknown. "The Minister can't fool us by remaining vague about what she'll do with this $35 million - the money should be spent on financial assistance and nothing else," protested Alexandre St-Onge-Perron, representing the Association générale des étudiants du Collège Édouard-Montpetit (AGECEM).

The students' symbolic action in front of the Minister's office is intended to call Ms. Courchesne to order. "Clearly, these funds should be used as grant money, for indexing allowed expenses, rather than replenishing the Ministry's coffers!" asserted Nicolas Descroix, secretary general of the Fédération des associations étudiantes du campus de l'Université de Montréal (FAÉCUM).

Members of the Coalition régionale des étudiants de Montréal (CREM) represent all levels of higher education. Student associations, with membership totaling more than 46,000 cégep and university students attending institutions in the Montreal area, were represented at this morning's event.

For further information: Alexandre Ducharme, press agent, FAÉCUM, Cell phone: [phone]