Be Fair With The Fare
Be Fair With The Fare
On Thursday September 30, Ontario Association of Career Colleges (OACC) President Peter Dykstra, Executive Director Paul Kitchin and Government Relations Consultant John Nunziata, along with two students, presented on behalf of the 15,000 registered private career college students in the City of Toronto who are being unfairly left out of the $99 TTC post-secondary student metropass.
Currently, students attending registered private career colleges in the City of Toronto are not eligible for the new $99 Post-Secondary Student Metropass. John Nunziata opened the deputation by explaining the goal – to immediately change the policy to include registered private career college students.
Nunziata made it clear that the change could be made as easily as adding a statement about students at colleges registered by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in accordance with the Private Career Colleges Act. OACC President Peter Dykstra spoke briefly about the issue saying “A student is a student is a student...these students have the right to be treated fairly.”
Paul Kitchin took a few minutes to explain what career colleges are, the regulations that govern the sector and the differences between career college programs and those offered at public colleges and universities. Kitchin made it clear that students at registered private career colleges are receiving the required number of hours in a shorter time period because of the lack of a 4 month summer break.
During the deputation, Medix students Selucia George-Lodge and Orith Benjamin spoke about their personal stories and their choice in education. Selucia offered some comments from her fellow students about what the $22 per month savings compared to the regular adult monthly metropass meant to them. George-Lodge informed the Commission that she on occasion misses class because she doesn’t always have enough change to ride the TTC. Orith Benjamin spoke about her program requirement to do 500 hours of placement, unpaid, in order to complete the program.
Over 25 students from Everest College, Academy of Learning, Medix Schools and Canadian Centre for Verbatim Studies joined OACC at the TTC Commission meeting. The students clapped when the deposition was finished, only to learn that the Chair, Adam Giambrone, wanted to leave the issue for the 2011 budget and the next Commission to deal with.
“Thanks to Peter Milczyn the result was an excellent one,” Nunziata explained.
Councillor Peter Milczyn made a motion to defer the issue to the next meeting, giving TTC staff time to evaluate the costs of adding private career college students, with an implementation date of January 1st 2011.
Students were upset they were being made to wait even longer for the discount, if it were to happen at all. But, TTC Vice Chair Counillor Joe Mihevc wanted to make the decision clear, and said, “It’s not a no...but not a yes.”
“I believe it was a successful day,” said Peter Dykstra, OACC President. “A small win for our students in the fact the TTC is considering allowing private career college students to have the metropass.”
“Although we would have like to have it resolved [that day], were very excited that the commission is going to prepare the numbers and action this at the next meeting with a hopeful implementation date of January 1 2011,” Dykstra said.
Dykstra is encouraging students to communicate with OACC, send in their story of what the TTC metropass would mean to them. To those interested in making a deputation, students should coordinate with OACC for help and support.
“Thank you to all the students for attending and showing up in support we look forward to continuing to move this forward,” Dykstra said. “It’s important that we work together and coordinate our efforts.”
“We should lobby vigorously during the election campaign to ensure we have the support of incoming Councillors,” Nunziata said. “We should all be writing and calling the incumbents asking for their support preferably in writing.”
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OACC will be at the December 15 TTC meeting to continue lobbying on behalf of the students, but we need their help. Students should contact their city councillor, the TTC Commissioners and mayoral candidates to support the proposed addition of private career college students to the $99 Post-secondary Student Metropass.
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