The Alliance of BC Students supports most of the new measures announced July 15th to protect international students from exploitation and uphold the quality and integrity of international post-secondary education in BC, but pointed out that some of the measures miss the point, and calls on the provincial government to address the core problems of government underfunding and unregulated international student tuition increases.
AFTER FUNDING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR DECADES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARE BEING BLAMED FOR FAILURES OF SUCCESSIVE GOVERNMENTS
UNCEDED SQUAMISH, TSLEIL-WAUTUTH, AND MUSQUEAM TERRITORIES/VANCOUVER, BC - BC students are once again calling for the provincial government to properly fund the post-secondary education system to stop the reliance on and exploitation of international students.
“International students are being used as a scapegoat for the housing crisis and the actions of predatory post-secondary institutions,” said Manpreet, Chairperson of the Alliance of BC Students (ABCS). “This visa cap is not going to solve the important issues we are facing. If governments really want to address these issues, they need to increase public funding to B.C.’s post-secondary education system, build more student housing, cap international student tuition increases to the same rate as domestic students, and mandate that post-secondary institutions provide adequate support for international students.”
Students Support Budget Recommendations
VANCOUVER, BC - The Alliance of BC Students welcomed the recommendations released today by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, which included a number of key recommendations for strengthening post-secondary education in BC.
“We were heartened to see the concerns of the post-secondary community taken into account in this year’s recommendations,” said Grace Dupasquier, the Chairperson of the ABCS. “COVID-19 has starkly exposed many gaps in support and areas of concern throughout the post-secondary landscape, and we hope to see these recommendations reflected in the next budget.”
The recommendations from the committee which impact the post-secondary sector include:
Providing stable, multi-year funding for community literacy across BC.
Increasing resources to adult education to provide a broader range of course offerings and ensure equity in the funding of adult students and school-age students.
Investing in upgrading existing post-secondary infrastructure, including encouraging and leveraging opportunities to expand satellite campuses in rural, remote and underserved communities.
Supporting post-secondary institutions in advancing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by ensuring post-secondary education is accessible to Indigenous learners and honours and recognizes Indigenous culture.
Creating a provincial international student education strategy, in consultation with students, post-secondary institutions and other key stakeholders, which examines the business model, the cultural, academic and economic integration of international students, and intended goals and outcomes of post-secondary education.
Providing sufficient support to post-secondary institutions for teaching and learning tools, infrastructure and technology, and training to facilitate professional development for the online delivery of courses.
Exploring mechanisms, such as allowing the use of accumulated surpluses, to provide post-secondary institutions with short-term flexibility to navigate the financial impacts of the pandemic.
Investing in post-secondary education and expanding the number of seats available to students as a means to facilitate economic recovery and address immediate and projected gaps in the labour market, including ensuring local training and reskilling opportunities and reducing barriers for underrepresented groups.
Providing flexible reskilling and upskilling opportunities in online and in-person formats with a lens to equity, reconciliation and accessibility, and recognize skills acquired through prior and experiential learning, to support workers displaced due to automation, shifts to digital technology and the pandemic, including promoting and expanding technology and trades-related training and careers.
Providing a multi-year extension to the BC Graduate Scholarship and expand its eligibility to graduate students in non-STEM disciplines.
Facilitating access to education by addressing financial barriers related to the direct and indirect costs of education, including child care and transportation.
"We are particularly excited about the recommendations regarding decolonization of the post-secondary system, the international education strategy, further investment into post-secondary in light of the pandemic, the extension of the BC Graduate Student Scholarship, and the commitment to addressing financial barriers to education.” continued Dupasquier, “COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to re-examine our post-secondary system overall, and we look forward to working with the government to ensure these recommendations help students in the most meaningful way possible.”
ABCS' Pre-Budget Submission 2020
Our recommendations reflect the issues the global pandemic has created for BC’s students and the post-secondary education sector. We believe that lowering financial barriers for students, demonstrating international leadership, investing in post-secondary education, and giving more people than ever the ability to achieve their educational goals will be critical to BC’s long-term recovery from the challenges COVID-19 has created for us all.
Open Letter on International Student MSP Contributions
Today we share an open letter to The Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health signed by 10 student associations representing over 180,000 students collectively on the recently increased MSP fees impacting international students.
The ABCS along with our members have collaborated with the Alma Mater Society of UBC, The Graduate Student Society at SFU, Simon Fraser Student Society, UVic Graduate Students' Society, and the University of Victoria Students’ Society and are asking the provincial government to reconsider this decision.