Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
Debt by design: OSAP and the political economy of student aid in Canada
Tuesday, May 26th, 2026
… students in Ontario are being asked to shoulder a growing share of the cost of post-secondary education. While these changes may appear exceptional, they are not. Instead, they reflect a broader transformation in how post-secondary education is funded across Canada, where the costs have steadily shifted from the public to the individual… restoring OSAP alone will not make post-secondary education truly affordable. That requires a broader commitment to public investment, and in turn, that means raising the province’s revenue.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, tax, youth
Posted in Education Policy Context | 109 Comments »
Doug Ford cited abuse of OSAP as one reason for its overhaul. Here’s what new data actually shows
Sunday, May 17th, 2026
“They’re using these allegations as a way to justify gutting the financial assistance”… “What students are seeing is a government using a very limited number of cases to rationalize broader austerity measures in post-secondary education. The impact of these decisions are being felt by ordinary students who are now expected to graduate with deeper debt in a province where employment is not guaranteed.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Education Policy Context | 14 Comments »
To improve literacy, Ontario should invest in students and educators
Friday, May 1st, 2026
Even when screening tools are efficient and well-designed, teachers often lack the time, class-size conditions and specialist support needed to respond meaningfully to the results… Ontario stands at a familiar crossroads: keep reaching for solutions that are quick to purchase and easy to measure, or do the harder work of building lasting public capacity… [through] smaller primary classes, restored specialist support, rich early language environments and teacher education grounded in deep literacy expertise.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, participation, standard of living, youth
Posted in Education Debates | 1 Comment »
Any social media ban for kids must be national in scope, culture minister says
Thursday, April 30th, 2026
The federal government says any move to restrict kids from using social media must be co-ordinated with the provinces, as Manitoba pushes ahead with a ban and Ontario signals it may follow… “this is a shared jurisdiction, and both levels have to be doing their jobs to make sure kids are kept safe.” … Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon acknowledged… that the risks youth are exposed to on social media and AI chatbots “are the same.”
Tags: Education, jurisdiction, youth
Posted in Education Policy Context | 1 Comment »
Ontario is introducing a new financial literacy curriculum for high schoolers. Here’s what they’ll learn
Thursday, April 23rd, 2026
In Grade 7, 8 and 9, students can learn how to manage finances, how the stock market works or about foreign currency and exchange rates. In Grade 10, they will learn the “importance of financial management, including budgeting, paying bills on time, the value of using credit responsibly, and options to pay for postsecondary education,” as well as “planning and financial management to help meet career and life goals,” the ministry says…
Tags: Education, participation, youth
Posted in Education Policy Context | 18 Comments »
New funding announcement brings some relief to universities, but still leaves Ontario at the bottom of the heap and increases student debt.
Thursday, March 26th, 2026
Ontario’s funding is entrenched in last place, so far behind that it would take more than a 45% increase to match the second-lowest funded province, Alberta. Increasing total university funding by of 13.5% per year for five years would bring per capita funding in Ontario to the national average… The data shows that there is record demand from Ontario secondary school students for an Ontario university education.
Tags: budget, Education, jurisdiction, participation, youth
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Ford’s slashing of student grants holds poor students back and shows why we need a wealth tax
Thursday, March 19th, 2026
Canadians are fair-minded; we want to live in a society where economic rewards are dispensed — at least to some extent — on the basis of merit… We could come closer to being a meritocracy by imposing a wealth tax, which would take a bit from Canada’s grand fortunes so that poorer kids get a chance to live their dreams.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, poverty, tax, youth
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
Ontario elementary teachers to get spending accounts for classroom supplies starting this fall, Doug Ford says
Wednesday, March 18th, 2026
The $750 yearly spending accounts to purchase classroom supplies are believed to be a first in Canada… The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation said while “any relief for teachers who are currently spending their own money on classroom supplies is welcome… The real solution is properly funding schools, so the resources students and educators need are already there.”
Tags: budget, Education, jurisdiction
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
Ontario got two things right with post-secondary funding — and one thing very wrong
Saturday, February 21st, 2026
Increasing tuition and provincial funding will improve the financial conditions facing colleges and universities. However, shifting OSAP from majority grants to loans will make it harder for students, particularly those most economically disadvantaged, to attend, persist, and graduate. There are other, more equitable pathways forward.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction, participation
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Getting rid of school board trustees is the right thing to do
Saturday, February 21st, 2026
Calandra’s stated goal is to restore solvency and stability — fiscal and pedagogical — to the system. The minister has catalogued a litany of unauthorized budget deficits, implausible fiscal plans, botched agendas for staff and students, and classroom funding sacrificed for pet projects or fanciful causes. Opposition critics suggest Calandra has a hidden agenda to disempower trustees.
Tags: Education, ideology, jurisdiction, participation
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
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