Ontario students descend on Queen's Park to lobby MPPs for affordable and accessible colleges and universities

TORONTO, March 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Students from across Ontario are in Toronto this week to present to politicians their vision for improving access to and quality of post-secondary education. Students have rejected nearly all of the recommendations made in the past month by Don Drummond and those contained in the leaked document "Three Cubed," and are offering an alternative for how to improve Ontario's college and university system.

"Students are tired of hearing what bureaucrats, politicians and institutional presidents think is best for them and so we are offering our vision for the sector to Members of Provincial Parliament this week," said Sandy Hudson, Chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. "There is a funding crisis in higher education in Ontario and we need MPPs to listen to students and make decisions that are in our best interests."

Each of the recommendations that students are presenting can be found in the document, Students' Interests: Ontario's Future. In absence of hearings of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, students intend to influence Budget 2012 with the recommendations contained therein.

"With students from all regions of Ontario descending on Queen's Park today, we intend to ensure that politicians listen to the people most affected by higher education policy: students," said Hudson.

Le document est disponible en francais ici.

The Canadian Federation of Students represents more than 300,000 college, undergraduate and graduate students from Windsor to Thunder Bay.

Sandy Hudson, Ontario Chairperson: 416-722-8842 (mobile)

Nora Loreto, Communications and Government Relations Coordinator: 416-846-6672 (mobile) or at [email protected]