MEDIA ADVISORY - Student trick-or-treat event to draw attention to
government's poor track record on post-secondary education

TORONTO, Oct. 27 /CNW/ - Days before Halloween, students will hold a trick-or-treat event at Yonge and Dundas Square on Thursday, October 28, where they will distribute candy while dressed up as political leaders. The purpose of the event is to inform curious shoppers and passers-by about the tricks played on college and university students by both levels of government.

Students are concerned that the rising cost and declining quality of post-secondary education make college and university education a scary proposition for many Ontario students and their families. Below are some statistics that make students shiver:

• Ontario's record undergraduate fees of $6,307 are the highest in Canada
• This year, undergraduate fees increased by 5.4 percent and graduate fees increased by 10.6 percent
• Canadian students collectively owe $15 billion in federal student loans, and billions more in provincial debt
• Ontario's professor-to-student ratio is 37 percent below the national average
• Per-student funding in Ontario is 24 percent below the rest of Canada

EVENT INFORMATION:
		What:	Theatrical outreach event with photo opportunities
		Who:	Students from universities and colleges across the GTA
		When:	11:00 am
		Where:	Dundas Square (Corner of Yonge & Dundas in Toronto)

Education is a Right is a national and provincial campaign calling for further investment in post-secondary education and up-front, need-based grants. The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario unites more than 300,000 college and university students across the province.

For further information:

Sandy Hudson, Chairperson, CFS-Ontario:416-722-8842 (cell)
Joel Duff,Organiser, CFS-Ontario: 416-707-0349 (cell)