Archive for the ‘Education Policy Context’ 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 | 123 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 | 17 Comments »
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 | 27 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 »
Doug Ford’s changes to university funding is good news for universities and terrible news for poor students
Wednesday, February 18th, 2026
Ontario will still be tenth out of ten provinces for per-student funding. But Thursday’s announcement will bring public funding back roughly to its previous all-time high of about $8.5 billion per year. Some of the $5.3 billion is genuinely new. But over 50 per cent of the new money going to universities and colleges is being reallocated from within the Ministry — specifically, by taking about $700 million/year away from… OSAP
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, poverty
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
Doug Ford has learned a hard lesson after starving Ontario’s colleges and universities
Thursday, February 12th, 2026
This week’s boost will not come close to making colleges and universities whole, but a half loaf is better than the premier’s half-baked ideas on postsecondary funding. Tuition can now rise by up to two per cent a year, but for too long the government ignored the initial five per cent increase recommended by its own blue ribbon panel in 2023, alongside fresh funding.
Tags: budget, economy, Education, jurisdiction
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
Blame Doug Ford, not international students, for the catastrophe facing Ontario colleges and universities
Tuesday, December 16th, 2025
… years of underfunding, mismanagement and neglect, colleges and universities across the province are slashing programs and cutting jobs… the harm may become irrevocable. Even in the best case, it will take years, and perhaps decades, to repair the damage already done… postsecondary education is a provincial responsibility…
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, immigration, jurisdiction, standard of living
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
Ontario won’t have charter schools, board closings or mergers, pledges education minister
Saturday, December 6th, 2025
Education Minister Paul Calandra said Friday that… “There will be no closing of school boards in whatever we do… We’re not amalgamating school boards. I’m not bringing in charter schools. I’m not merging the public system and the Catholic system together… But… nothing has convinced him that the ”$43 billion Ministry of Education budget should be delivered by trustees across the province of Ontario.”
Tags: Education, jurisdiction, participation
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
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