EDMONTON – Post-secondary student leaders had the opportunity to meet with Alberta’s Advanced Education Minister Saturday, to discuss the future of their education in the province.
“I think a lot of emphasis is being placed on what our administration thinks is best and a lot of time students know what they need out of their education,” said Conner Brown, chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS).
The meeting comes just days after the release of the Ignite: Ideas for Post-Secondary Education Student Consultation Report, which heard from students about the current issues and challenges facing Alberta’s post-secondary sector.
Above all, the majority of students said accessibility and cost were their top concerns; institutional funding was also near the top of the list.
“Students are ultimately the deciding factor when it comes down to education because universities are here for us, so who better to consult on the issues,” Brown said.
WATCH: The results of Ignite are in
On Saturday, post-secondary students presented their findings to the Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education, Dave Hancock.
“A lot of things we talked about are those perennial issues like tuition, funding. But there’s also a big focus on access and affordability,” said Ken Taylor, with the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC).
Hancock said the meeting proved to be a learning experience and an important opportunity to engage students in an open dialogue.
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“Education is, fundamentally, one of the most important things we can do as a society. The question is, how do we do it so everybody has access to what they need to advance their education?” Hancock said following the meeting. “It benefits Alberta if we have a good, strong, well-educated population.”
In last year’s provincial budget, post-secondary operating grants were cut by nearly seven per cent. With Budget 2014 right around the corner, students say they want to see a priority put on education.
“There is that expectation that you go to post-secondary, you go $30,000 in debt, that you’re going to get something out of it,” Taylor said.
READ MORE: Alberta’s 2014 budget to be tabled March 6
With the province in a period of “fiscal restraint,” according to Hancock, he believes the focus needs to be on making sure investments go to good use.
“Money is important and how you allocate money is important, but really fundamentally we have to know how we make effective use of our resources.”
When it comes down to it both sides say money isn’t everything, but proper involvement and consultation is key.
“We are what drives the system. So we need to be involved in all levels of decision making,” Taylor said. “We definitely need to have more students consulted in all levels of decision making… We want to see more involvement with us on tuition, more involvement on funding models. We want to see a continuation of the quarterly meetings to make sure that we continue to have this dialogue.”
“I want to know, not just what they want for their student bodies that they represent today, but their viewpoints with respect to how we can build the student experience for tomorrow,” Hancock added.
With files from Shannon Greer, Global News.
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