Canadá: Kings and Dalhousie students protest high tuition fees

América del Norte/Canadá/Octubre de 2016/Fuente: CBC News

RESUMEN: activistas estudiantiles de la Universidad de Dalhousie y la Universidad de Kings College de Halifax protestaron el miércoles contra el aumento de las tasas de matrícula por la entrega de los fideos instantáneos gratis a los estudiantes.«Las tasas de matrícula son tan altos que [los estudiantes] no pueden permitirse el lujo de primera necesidad como alimentos,» dijo Charlotte Kiddell, la silla de Nueva Escocia de la Federación Canadiense de Estudiantes.La federación está llamando a una enseñanza gratuita y ha organizado una huelga estudiantil a nivel nacional el 2 de noviembre para instar primer ministro Justin Trudeau a la altura de su discurso pre-electoral sobre el apoyo a los estudiantes de post-secundaria.En abril, la junta de gobernadores de Dalhousie aprobó un aumento de la matrícula general del tres por ciento, junto con los aumentos adicionales para algunos programas, como la ingeniería.

Student activists at Dalhousie University and the University of Kings College in Halifax protested Wednesday against rising tuition fees by handing out free instant noodles to students.

«Tuition fees are so high that they [students] can’t afford basic necessities like groceries,» said Charlotte Kiddell, the Nova Scotia chair of the Canadian Federation of Students.

The federation is calling for free tuition and has organized a nationwide student walkout on Nov. 2 to urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to live up to his pre-election talk about supporting post-secondary students.

In April, Dalhousie’s board of governors approved a general tuition hike of three per cent, along with additional increases for some programs such as engineering.

According to the university’s online calculator, full-time Dal undergraduate students will pay anywhere from $5,430 to $10,121 this year in tuition and incidental fees, depending on the program of study.

Kings student Ethan Speigel said he supports the federations’s call for free post-secondary education.

«One of the laws recently passed in Ontario is that families of low income under $50,000 per year get free tuition. And I think that’s an incredible initiative that Nova Scotia should follow,» he said.
A meeting with the PM

In January, Kiddell spoke to Trudeau as part of a special CBC program. She said their conversation focused mainly on the cost of a university or college education.

«He had a lot of inspiring things to say, but there’s been a really disappointing lack of action and I want to see that change,» said Kiddell.

She said the University of Kings College is a good example of what happens when tuition fees increase. She said student enrolment is down and most of the students registered come from families in the two highest income brackets.

Kiddell is specific about what would constitute fair tuition fees.

«I would say no tuition is reasonable tuition,» she said.

Fuente: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/kings-dalhousie-students-tuition-fees-instant-noodle-1.3812240

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