Study by York U. Centre for Research on Work and Society Shows Funding Cuts Erode Quality at Ontario Colleges while Premium on Well-Educated, Skilled Work Force Remains High

TORONTO, November 10, 1999 -- A new study published by York University's Centre for Research on Work and Society (CRWS) shows that while staff at Ontario's 24 colleges have the capability and commitment to produce well-educated and trained graduates, their ability to deliver this service has been steadily eroded by funding cuts over the past decade.

"At a time when a nation's economic performance is increasingly determined by the education of its citizens, Ontario's decline in investment in education does not bode well for the future of hundreds of thousands of young Ontarians and the economic health of the province," said York Professor Carla Lipsig-MummÈ, Director of the CRWS.

The study provides data on the forces at work in shaping changes at the colleges over the last five to 10 years, using an in-depth stratified random sample interview survey of 517 college professors, plus documentary data from relevant government departments, annual reports of the 24 colleges, and interviews. The report describes the negative impact of a 21 per cent cut in provincial funding from 1992 to 1998 and resulting cuts in spending at the colleges. At the same time, enrolments rose steadily -- up more than nine per cent in 1991-92 and 1995-96. It concludes that there has been a general decline in the quality of a college education in Ontario in the 1990s that will continue unless the sector is refinanced.

The study is a university-based project of the Centre for Research on Work and Society (CRWS), and is funded by the CRWS, York University, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

The report will be released at a news conference at the Queen's Park Media Studio, Monday, November 15 at 10 a.m.

WHO:
Dr. Jerry P. White, Research Associate, York University Centre for Research on Work and Society, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Western Ontario, principal author of the study. Dr. Carla Lipsig-MummÈ, Director of York University's Centre for Research on Work and Society

WHAT:
Voices From The Classroom: The Ontario Colleges and the Question of Quality -- a report on the effects of increased enrolments and funding cuts on the quality of college education in Ontario.

WHEN:
Monday, November 15, 10 a.m.

WHERE:
Media Studio, Ontario Legislature, Queen's Park

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For further information, please contact:

Carla Lipsig-MummÈ
Director, CRWS
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 30205

Jerry P. White
Dept. of Sociology
University of Western Ontario
(519) 661-2111, ext. 5142

Susan Bigelow
Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22091
YU/121/99