William Watson on PSE
On Wednesday, William Watson wrote a comment piece in the Financial Post in which he was critical of Armine Yalnizyan’s recent essay on inequality that appeared the National Post. In…
Education
Know the issues, act on the facts.
In the October edition of the Labour Reporter you’ll find details about some of the things that we’ve been up to over the summer. You’ll have a chance to read…
Next we sell off naming rights for schools
Private business promoters aim to eliminate public enterprises through privatization, contracting out and outsourcing. They promote the myth that delivery of services by private, often multinational, companies gains cost and…
The Ontario NDP Platform
Pollsters tell us that Ontario’s New Democrats may double their seat total in next month’s provincial election. It’s also entirely conceivable that they could be part of a coalition government…
University of Calgary Prostitutes Itself To Big Oil & Gas
Canadian journalist Mike DeSousa, who first wrote three years ago about the anti-science group with the Orwellian name “Friends of Science”, who funded a PR blitz meant to cast doubt…
Sliding into Fall
Oops, it did it again…. The Fall term 2011 has managed to sneak up on me, like its 2010 predecessor. All of a sudden, it’s all back. I am facing…
Unaffordable education
It’s a sad state of affairs when the first thought to run through my head upon reading the headline, “School tuition hikes eclipse inflation rate again: Statscan”, was This isn’t…
PSE in Newfoundland and Labrador
Last March, Keith Dunne and I wrote an opinion piece on Danny Williams’ post-secondary education (PSE) legacy in Newfoundland and Labrador. Among other things, we pointed out that average undergraduate…
Dalton McGuinty leadership on education praised in The Economist
http://www.economist.com/node/21529014Great article in The Economist about education reform and progress around the world, and Ontario is right at the top:“Ontario really is impressive,” enthuses Sir Michael Barber, former head of…
McGuinty Proposes Undergraduate Tuition Grant
An Ontario election is slated for October 6, and the reigning Liberal Party will attempt to pull off a third consecutive majority government. In that vein, the Liberals have recently…
“Grade-Boosting” Stimulant Use on Campus
A recent editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal looks at the use of “grade-boosting” stimulants (such as Ritalin) by Canadian post-secondary students. According to the editorial: “Universities and colleges…
On the Ontario Liberal platform.
I had planned to go point-by-point through the OLP's platform, like I did the OPC and ONDP. But, well -- the platform really wasn't worth the wait.Here's the Cliff Notes…
Exams never end
(Title of famous play by Italian playwright Eduardo De Filippo. To my knowledge, it was not inspired by his own PhD defence) Dear fellow Committee Members, as the appointed Chair…
This drama with the Catholic school system reminds me of a Mel Brooks moment
I'm sorry, I just can't help it sometimes.It's probably not the most famous or best-remembered scene from Blazing Saddles (and in truth, it's got a lot of competition), but in…
All this Catholic-school business reminds me of a Mel Brooks moment
I'm sorry, I just can't help it sometimes.It's probably not the most famous or best-remembered scene from Blazing Saddles (and in truth, it's got a lot of competition), but in…
Ontario Student Debt
Last week, the CCPA released a paper by David Macdonald and Erika Shaker entitled Under Pressure: The Impact of Rising Tuition Fees on Ontario Families. The paper does a good…
Funding for Federal Granting Councils
The Canadian Association of University Teachers represents 66,000 university and college teachers, academic librarians, researchers and staff at more than 120 universities and colleges in Canada. Their 2012 brief to…
Quebec Tuition Fees
In light of plans by the Charest government to increase tuition fees in Quebec by 75 percent over the next five years, Eric Martin and Simon Tremblay-Pepin have written a…
Copyright on Campus
A recent article by George Monbiot in The Guardian takes a critical look at academic publishers, apparently with a focus on the United Kingdom. The article makes the following points:…
New Rule: Only People With PhDs May Give Opinions.
This appears to be the premise of an unduly dismissive commenter. For your enjoyment, here is what he/she had to say: Hi Ron, I hope you will forgive me for…