News Reviews
Nov 05, 2008
B.C. NDP leader Carole James presented her four-point plan to make education more accessible to low-income earners.
If the NDP form government in May, James promised the NDP would add $250 million worth of student grants over three years, restore the $50 million that the Liberals cut from universities, cut interest rates in half for student loans and add $4 million per year to graduate student scholarships.
James was responding to a report by the Canada Millennium Scholarship Fund which showed that the B.C. student aid system is the worst in the country.
NAY!
The education gap between Aboriginal people and other Canadians is growing as the relative number of Aboriginal students enrolling in university has not kept up with the boom of enrollment in other populations, according to a recent study published by the Howe Institute.
Among people identifying as First Nations on the 2006 census, more had higher education compared to previous years.
However, this increase was smaller than increases seen in non-Aboriginal populations.
The study also found that Aboriginal people with university degrees have a higher rate of employment than non-Aboriginal degree holders, while at all other equal levels of education, Aboriginal people found fewer jobs.
YAY!
The University of Alberta is considering removing God from their convocation speech.
In their current ceremony, the chancellor charges students to use their degrees for “the glory of God.” An atheist group at U of A has been advocating since 2004 for the removal of the comment.
On Oct. 27, students presented the university with a petition of 189 signatures of students who wanted the wording changed. But General Faculties Council has the final say.
UVic is among several other secular public institutions in Canada that do not reference God in their convocation ceremony.
Source: www.martlet.ca/
