What those kids are doing in Quebec. How about that? Agree with them or not, but they have stuck to their guns and might actually be making a difference not only for their future but the future of countless others - if they manage a win in Quebec, then other provinces are sure to follow. The protests have been largely peaceful with a few exceptions and, despite laws that attempted to restrict freedoms, the protests continued. Now, the government and students are back to the bargaining table because tourist season is almost upon us. You can't really legislate students back to school, now can you?
I guess the Quebec government thought their laws restricting peaceful protest would shut everybody up. After all, that's been the trend for a long, long time. Restrict rights and freedoms, increase costs. Most people will go along with it if it's incremental and sold as good for us all.
And, looking at this graphic, it would seem that Quebec students have it pretty good already. Looks like they are paying pretty much the lowest tuition of anyone in the country. So, what? Why would they be protesting what the government calls a reasonable rise in tuition fees over a number of years when they already have it so good?
The real question might be this: Why are the students in the other provinces NOT protesting?
According to StatsCan, university tuition fees are on the increase, outstripping the rate of inflation, not to mention the addition of new fees. For even a simple bachelor's degree which we know will get you a great job slinging burgers or coffee, a student will pay, on average in Canada, about $15,000. And, despite the fact that researchers are starting to draw distinct, real correlations between health and years in education, we are starting to restrict access to higher education to the wealthy few or those willing to pay of tens of thousands of dollars of loan after they are done. So, why aren't kids in the other provinces hopping mad? Why aren't their parents hopping mad? Why are protests not popping up all over the country?
Make your own prognostications on why society is becoming more unfair. Make your own decisions as to why the rich are getting richer, lifestyles are devolving, and mobility between the classes is eroding all the time. Make your own decisions. Believe what you need to believe. But if they take what they take without a fight, the fault is ours, not theirs.
Jacqui Burke is
a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction
opening June 20. 2012 at the Palmerston Library Theatre for one night only, and The Last Five Years
for TOKL Productions running July 20-21st, 2012 at the Alum Studio. Next year, she is looking forward to producing/directing her own show in the fall, directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also,
serializing The
Pretender, her first novel,
online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.
She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp
sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui
Burke
Artistic
Director
Jaybird
Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
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