UW Debate

[pnijjar]

I attended the Kitchener-Waterloo debate at the University of

Comments

[mynatt]

StatsCan says that parent's education and not their income is a better predictor of whether a teenager will attend University, but no-one seems to talk about that. Tuition freezes are merely the most obvious way to make education more accessible, not necessarily the most effective.

[pnijjar]

That's good information. But what can you do with it to actually get more kids to university (assuming that is a worthwhile goal)?

[mynatt]

Perhaps that's why it doesn't get discussed -- there are fewer obvious solutions. This fact is why the NDP dropped streaming in high school education; it was overwhelming rich kids in the 'going to university' classes and working class kids in the others. Of course, that didn't work at all. (Incidentally, there hasn't been streaming in high schools in Quebec for many years, for the same reason. It's a disaster here too.)

I think all you can do is to gradually break down class barriers wherever you find them, and encourage mingling of people from different backgrounds. Like I said, no simple fixes.

[mynatt]

Also: in my experience working class kids with no university educated role models in their social circles will almost never go to university. You have to think it's something possible and worthwhile for a person like you. Think of all those programs to encourage high school girls with an interest in science/math to continue their studies in university -- so now we need a way to work against class roles as well as gender roles.

How? I have no idea.

[chezmax]

Thank you for your posts covering the debates of the local candidates. I found the information most useful. :)