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'A new online institute would be a costly addition to infrastructure that already exists and works.'
Toronto (6 Dec. 2010) - A coalition of Ontario post-secondary students, staff and educators has released a report outlining concerns over the province's plan to expand post-secondary opportunities by creating an Ontario Online Institute.
The coalition represents more than 300,000 college and university students and 50,000 professors and workers in the post-secondary education sector across the province.
Entitled Opening Ontario For Whom? A sectoral vision for integrating online learning into the classroom, the report is the work of representatives from four organizations, including the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).
The other groups are the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS–Ontario), the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees–Ontario (CUPE-Ontario).
Along with concerns related to the new initiative, the report outlines a series of "better ways" to broaden access for qualified college and university applicants.
"The government’s stated plan to create a new online institute would be a costly addition to infrastructure that already exists and works," says Constance Adamson of OCUFA.
"Students, faculty and staff believe the province should build on the wealth of expertise that faculty and staff in Ontario institutions have accumulated in developing and providing e-learning opportunities for students."
The coalition is calling on the province to make targeted investments to improve access to post-secondary learning and cautions against expanding online education with the goal of generating revenue.
"Students are united with faculty and staff in their opposition to any government initiative that expands online education as a way to save money," says Sandy Hudson, chairperson of the CFS-Ontario.
"Any investments to online education must aim to enhance academic quality, reduce class sizes and make post-secondary education more accessible and affordable for students."
The coalition calls on the government to spend its money improving the existing online infrastructure for distance learning instead of creating another provincial bureaucracy.
The recommendations include investing in already-existing e-learning initiatives, expanding broadband access throughout the province and reducing the cost of online education for students.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE