Breaking down the “Hands Off Our Education” campaign
The Medium interviewed CFS-O and UTMSU representatives to learn more about the campaign against Bill 33.
On May 29, Ontario’s Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, introduced Bill 33. If passed, the so-called Supporting Students and Children Act would increase the provincial government’s power over many aspects of education, such as post-secondary admissions criteria, fee regulation, the implementation of “school resource officers,” and mandatory fees for essential services covered by universities.
However, much of the bill is vaguely worded, meaning it has the potential to grant the government of Ontario alarmingly broad powers over schools and student governments across the province.
This is not the first time the province has attempted to increase oversight in education. With previous policies like the 2019 Student Choice Initiative (SCI), the Ford government attempted to control fees for student services that were democratically chosen by students.
The SCI was defeated twice in court by the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a national union representing dozens of students’ unions at colleges and universities across the country, including the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Students’ Union (UTMSU). Now, the CFS aims to stop Bill 33 through their Hands Off Our Education campaign.
To discuss the bill and its implications for post-secondary education, The Medium interviewed Omar Mousa, National Executive Representative of CFS-Ontario (CFS-O), on September 19.
Mousa explained that severe underfunding of post-secondary education is currently fueling education gaps. But with Bill 33, the government aims to pin the high tuition costs on ancillary and levy fees and to restrict school admissions on politically motivated and potentially arbitrary terms.
“This government continues to make it clear that it seeks to defund and privatize education,” he asserted. “However, when students come together and mobilize, we [can] push back against these attacks.”
The Medium also interviewed UTMSU President Andrew Park and Executive Director Melissa Theodore.
The student representatives explained that Bill 33, if it becomes law, would take precedence over any previous bills and policies for which students’ unions have been advocating. It would take away the independence of students’ unions, which is currently protected by the College and University Student Associations Act, and change their role in university governance.
Here at UTM, essential services such as U-Pass, financial bursaries currently provided by the university, and health and dental plans, which especially help international students, would all be at risk.
Further, under Premier Doug Ford, the provincial government has previously cut about C$670 million in funding for OSAP in a single year, and the amount of funds taken out of the financial aid program has only increased since. With the additional control over bursaries Bill 33 could bring, post-secondary education is at risk of becoming more inaccessible to low-income households.
Students’ unions are there to address gaps between the government and universities, to advocate specifically for students. Without the unions to autonomously provide essential services and advocate for students’ needs, college and university students across Ontario may find themselves increasingly subject to the whims of a distant and parsimonious provincial government.
Students can learn more about the campaign against Bill 33 at www.handsoffoureducation.ca. Clubs and academic societies can sign an endorsement form on this website to show solidarity with the campaign.
October 20 to 24 will be the week of student mobilization. More information can be found on the Hands Off Our Education website, UTMSU website and Instagram, and at the UTMSU office at the Student Centre (UTMSU has an open-door policy). The UTMSU also held a campaign information event on Wednesday, September 24, from four to six p.m. in the Student Centre.
