Policy: Youth/Education

Early Life - Working parents have to make a choice between earning a living for their family and caring for young children. This is unacceptable, as more families are pushed to the brink and forced to cut back on saving to survive until the next paycheque. Under my plan, we would transfer the money obtained by restoring government worker wages to their pre-Campbell levels, and use the money to open up 10,000 daycare positions for preschool children, as well as keeping these spots open for after school care. Preschool would become more available under my program, with government subsidies being available for those who are unable to enroll their child.
Primary/Secondary Schooling - From the very beginning of their school careers, children are taught that the only way to be considered a success by the system is through excellence in scholastic studies. But we don't live in a society of lawyers and doctors. Too little attention is paid to the trades in our schools, as everyone is gently nudged in the direction of becoming another scholar for the universities to mold. What I suggest is a three-pronged approach to the issue; we need more classes in our schools that encourage young people to take an interest in trades, greater awareness as to the personal benefits of the trades must become available, and funding must increase for those students who do wish to become tradespeople. Right now, there is a widespread gap in the number of trades classes a student can take in secondary school, but a vast array of academic classes that may not suit that student. There is almost no information from local trade schools, but we have advertisements from universities half a world away. Worst of all is that there is no support money no scholarships, no bursaries, no anything for lower-income students who wish to pursue a trade. If elected, I will change that and make the trades an equal to academics in our school systems.
Post-Secondary Schooling - Eight years ago, the BC government ended a province-wide tuition freeze for post-secondary schooling. Since then, tuition rates have doubled, financially crippling some students and preventing others from pursuing a higher education. Eliminating this freeze prevents upward social mobility, and prevents the strong academics of some of our students from being recognized and nurtured. If elected, I will reinstate the tuition freeze at levels left by the previous NDP government. I will also replace the federal Millennium excellence scholarships and the current loan system with a new program.
This program will allow all students to apply and obtain loans from the government, to be paid back in full 10 within ten years of graduation, with interest attached. These loans, however, will be forgiven if a student maintains a 90% class average through each semester of their degree.