As students head back to colleges, universities and institutes across B.C. this September, we are reminded that post-secondary education needs to be more accessible and affordable to all.
Completing a degree, diploma, certificate or apprenticeship transforms so much more than the student. It opens the door to new possibilities, new careers and new confidence to engage in a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Part of that transformation has real benefits for the province and the student. Many studies have documented what some researchers describe as the "education dividend." Simply put, this research shows the strong, positive correlation between higher education and higher incomes. In effect, the investment made by government in building and operating a network of public post-secondary institutions creates the conditions by which an individual is able to improve their lifetime earnings, a move that benefits the individual and the provincial economy.
It's not surprising to note that a strong majority of B.C. voters support greater investments by governments in post-secondary education. Citizens want that education to be affordable and accessible, something that can only happen when governments make the needed investments up front. For the last decade B.C. has fallen behind: On a per-student basis, the real dollars provided by the B.C. government to operate colleges and universities has declined by more than eight per cent since 2001. We need to do better than that. That's why post-secondary educators in B.C. are mobilizing. Find out more about why public investments matter at www.fpse.ca.
- Cindy Oliver, president, Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C.
