MUN students march against tuition hike
‘Education is under attack’ say protesters during Saturday demonstration
ST. JOHN’S — Several diners and servers on the patios of the bars and restaurants stood up, cheered, raised their fists or clapped in support of the approximately 100 protestors marching through the pedestrian mall in St. John’s July 17, calling on Memorial University to reverse its decision to raise tuition fees.
On July 9, MUN president and vice-chancellor Vianne Timmons announced an increase that will see the cost of a three-credit-hour course for undergraduate students more than double from $255 to $600. For a traditional five-course semester, the cost for students will climb from $1,275 to $3,000. Rates for international undergraduate students will similarly increase from $880 per course to $2,000, with the changes taking effect in the fall of 2022 and similarly impacting Marine Institute students.
“Hey hey, ho ho, tuition fees have got to go,” called the protestors, who also chanted things like, “Education is under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight back,”
The students were also calling on Premier Andrew Furey and his Newfoundland and Labrador government to restore funding to Memorial University in light of the budget 2021 announcement that the university’s operating grant will be reduced over the coming five years.
Into a bullhorn, one protestor shouted, “When I say ‘Furey,’ you say ‘fail,’” before a call and response of, “Furey! Fail! Furey! Fail!”
Prior to the march, protestors met at Harbourside Park, where Katherine McLaughlin, chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students in Newfoundland and Labrador, outlined their concerns.
“Today, we’re here because the Liberal government has shown us they do not care about the futures of young people in this province, about the futures of workers in this province and the futures of our families in this province,” she said.
The crowd responded with “Shame.”
“We’re here today because the president of Memorial University believes that handing down a crushing debt sentence is an investment rather than a barrier to the people of this province.
“Today, we’re calling on the government to restore funding to Memorial University and to commit to accessible and affordable education in this province,” she said, before the crowd cheered.
In the crowd, Robin Whitaker stood with Scott Matthews. Both are professors at Memorial and believe the government and university are making a big mistake.
“I think it’s a sign of us failing in our special obligation to the people of the province,” Whitaker said.
With a tuition increase, not only will it be less accessible to future students from the province, but the university will become less attractive to students from outside the province as well, she said.
Matthews said education is one of the best investments the province could make.
“We were leading the country over the last couple of decades in our level of investment in the people, in renewing the province, in creating this really wonderful, dynamic place that we have,” he said. “And now, we’re trying to compete in a race that we don’t want to win. That’s a race you want to lose.”
As she walked, McLaughlin told the SaltWire Network the protest was about making the anger and frustration people are feeling visible.
“Is what we’re striving for as a society to be continuously regressive? No,” she said. “We should always be looking forward to a more ideal and more accessible society.
“This movement isn’t just for the current raises to tuition. This is for affordable and accessible education and a future where young people and students are able to access the education they need and be able to pour that back into the community.”