Funding cuts not compatible with Premier’s ‘Jobs Plan,’ CFS
By David Hollinshead, Staff Writer
The provincial government’s recent cuts to post-secondary education are set to influence adult basic education (ABE) programs.
The basic premise of ABE, is to help British Columbians achieve course credits that they hadn’t finished in high school in order to get their high school diploma or to boost their grades enough to move on to post-secondary education. Students and educators have depended on the government’s upkeep of ABE programs to enhance their employable skills.
“Funding for adult basic education helps the most vulnerable people in BC access meaningful employment and post-secondary education,” said Katie Marocchi, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-British Columbia. “Funding cuts to education programs are simply not compatible with the Premier’s ‘Jobs Plan.'”
“If the Premier wanted her Jobs Plan to be effective, she would have included additional funding and student support services for ABE in the February budget,“ said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators.
“What we got instead was a call to cut institutional budgets by 1 [per cent],” Oliver added. “Those cuts, along with a decade of chronic under funding by this government, are closing the door on thousands of adult learners who want to start or complete a post-secondary education. That’s a misguided approach and needs to change.”
