Students stage “study-in” to protest NS budget
Posted Apr 13, 2015 01:05:19 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A group of of about 20 university students from universities in Halifax took their concerns over the provincial budget to the source Monday, staging a “study-in” at finance minister Diana Whalen’s office in Clayton Park.
John Hutton speaks for the group. He says they had to choose between giving the budget an F, and getting A’s on their exams.
They chose to combine their studying and protesting efforts, and let the minister know what they think she’s doing to education.
“It’s already at a crisis situation, and it’s only going make it worse as a result of this budget,” he said.
The budget gives university’s the ability to make a one-time market adjustment to tuition before being bound by the 3 per cent increase cap again next year.
Hutton says that means the sky’s the limit for the universities.
The group spoke with the minister for about 40 minutes Monday. Whalen’s response was that a “balanced approach” was needed to address Nova Scotia’s financial issues.
“This is not a balanced approach,” Hutton said. “This is the most radical change in tuition policy in my lifetime as a young person, and it’s not reducing the province’s debt; it’s moving the province’s debt from the government onto students, who can least afford it.”
Hutton says the government doesn’t recognize the importance of investing in young people, and doesn’t realize the harm it’s doing.
