Students finally back in school
After five weeks of striking, college students and faculty across Ontario returned to school on Nov. 21 after the provincial government passed back to work legislation over the weekend. After college faculty voted overwhelmingly against the contract proposal before them, Wynne’s government determined it was necessary to introduce back to work legislation in order to save the semester.
- The College Student Alliance stated on their Facebook page that students will have two weeks to decide whether or not to proceed with the semester. Should they decide to withdraw, they will receive a full tuition refund
- Minister Deb Matthews and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development have created a Student Support Fund to help students who have faced significant financial burden due to the strike
- Classes will run until Dec. 22, and many programs will be skipping their winter reading break as well as extending classes into the spring
- NDP leader Andrea Horwath says this bill was not the best option, as the legal right to strike is protected, and it does not address the fact that 70 per cent of college faculty are part-time
Photo by Alora Griffiths/The Ontarion