Thousands of Adult Students affected by Ministry Funding Cuts

VANCOUVER, Dec 5, 2014 /CNW/ - Yesterday the Minister of Education, Peter Fassbender, announced that the Ministry of Education will no longer provide funding to school districts for tuition-free upgrading courses for adults who already hold a high school diploma. This change goes against the promise that was made to British Columbians in 2008, allowing graduated adults to take tuition-free academic courses. Chris Murphy, president of the Vancouver adult educator union laments, "With this announcement, the ministry is sending a message that they are not invested in public education for British Columbians. Denying tuition-free courses affects our most marginalized and vulnerable citizens who just want an opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families and have access to well-paying jobs. This government does not seem to understand or care about the long term benefits of an educated society."

Adults who already hold a high school diploma seek the opportunity to upgrade their skills in a number of areas, enabling them to prepare for post-secondary programs, ascend in their current jobs, or provide them with new future career opportunities. For many, access to these courses enables them to acquire skills, including training in digital media, which weren't available when they attended high school.

The provincial funding of graduated adults was very successful and demonstrated the need for these services in our community. Adult students flocked to Adult Education Centres to take courses that greatly benefited their lives. With the Ministry's announcement today graduated adult students will have to pay over $425 per course, a cost that many students simply cannot afford. "This is another example of the government's ploy to further privatize education. Education will only be available to those who can afford it and the rest of us are out of luck," says Dan Graves, VESTA President.

Murphy explains, "Many of the graduated adult students are immigrants, single mothers, students who struggled in high school the first time around, due to family issues or learning disabilities. It's shameful that the government is trying to save a few dollars at the expense of these citizens.

SOURCE: VESTA: Vancouver Elementary School Teachers' Association

about this media release, contact: Dan Graves, President, Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association at [email protected], 604-873-8378 (office) or 604-562-0890 (cell) or Chris Murphy, Adult Ed President, Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association at [email protected], 604-873-8378 (office) or 604-649-4109 (cell).