I thought this was the best quote of the story...
Samantha Power, president of the University of Alberta Students Union, said the premier's presence on campus may have some positive benefit.
"It might let him see some of the problems of the post-secondary system up-front," she said. "He can see some of the effects his cuts have had over the past few years."
While it might be too late for Klein to do anything about it, she's hoping he will pass his insights on to his friends in the governing Tory party.
Go Sam! Woot!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he'll mark his students papers?
ReplyDeleteLesson 1 from Professor Klein on how to communication most effectively: get a 250-person government funded Public Relations Bureau centralized under the Premier's Office. Use freely and partisanly.
ReplyDeleteJust curious as to when the last time post-secondary funding was actually "cut"... as in received less than the previous year?
ReplyDeleteCommunications from the Dunce? That ought to produce a cohort of stellars rhetors. Too add to the vast Albertan repetoire.
ReplyDeleteI saw Samantha Power speak at a recent convention. She is a very articulate and well spoken young leader and the students at the U of A are lucky to have someone of her talent as their president.
ReplyDeleteHowever I think that Ralph Klein will be largely ignored by the PC Party for many years to come. Perhaps if there is ever another "bust" period, he will attain the elder statesman mantle that we seem to have recently bestowed upon former "boom-time" premier Lougheed. We will all gather around and let Ralph tell us that the current premier is going about the spending cuts all wrong, and we will nod and agree...
But I doubt it. Seeya Ralph, wouldn't wanna be ya.
Wow. Thanks anonymous 1 and 2. As for you br, the increased funding to post secondary education over the past three years have not made up for the enrolment growth at any institution, nor has it matched the inflationary growth. There is also huge concern as to where, exactly, that increased funding is going. We know it's not going to undergraduate priorities like increased study and student space, nor is it going to hiring new professors and TAs to teach in our classrooms. Our classroom sizes have grown dramatically over the past twenty years, and if you look at the Arts buildings alone at the UofA campus, they haven't changed in over thirty years.
ReplyDeleteAlso, our tuition levels have only continued to increase. or remain exactly the same. We're still waiting for that "most affordable tuition in Canada" thing.
So, though funding has marginally increased it has not compensated what undergraduates need for a quality, affordable education.
That was a Sam Power, SU President answer, I try in vain keep blogging Sam Power seperate.
Thanks for the censor. I think that the recent post by Samatha Power illustrated by censored point quite nicely. Clearly she does not understand that constantly criticizing a party that she is trying to persuade is not going to work.
ReplyDelete