Around 40 people gathered at the University of New Brunswick campus to rally and march down to the legislature demanding free post-secondary education in Canada on Wednesday, Nov. 2.
This was Fredericton students’ contribution to National Day of Action rallies which took place on over 30 campuses across the country.
Nov. 2 was also the day of the Gallant government’s mid-mandate throne speech, as well as the anniversary of the Trudeau Liberal government’s election.
UNB student Abram Lutes spoke to the crowd before the march. He said people gathered with the intention to make sure the government listens to students when they say tuition fees have to fall.
“Almost 60 per cent of jobs today require a degree and yet we don’t get the support we need to be qualified to work,” Lutes said. “A return to more public funding and a policy of abolishing tuition means taking back universities for the students. It means universities will be more accessible to working-class students, to Indigenous students and other students who might face obstacles because of their status in society.”
The focus of the throne speech Wednesday was education.
“To accomplish economic growth and a vibrant health care system, your government’s main focus over the next year will be education,” the speech said.
The speech cited the 10-year education plan in place as a measure to “improve the outcomes for our students.”
The speech also said the Tuition Access Bursary was put in place as a response to student requests for more affordable education.
“That is why, starting this year, every New Brunswick undergraduate student at one of our publicly funded universities or community colleges whose family makes $60,000 or less is going to school for free.”
Brittany Dixon, a graduate student and New Brunswick representative for the Canadian Federation of Students said the TAB is a step in the right direction but it is still not enough.
“There are so many students out there, if their parents make too much money they still aren’t able to get the access that they need. It’s a step in the right direction but there’s definitely more we can ask for we can demand from them and they should be giving us.”
A press release announcing the rally said, “Students in New Brunswick are asking for immediate commitments from the provincial and federal governments to reduce and eliminate tuition fees, eliminate international student differential fees, and increase funding for graduate student research.”
