Stephen Downes

The team of Alex Usher and Maïca Murphy point to what is an everpresent reality in New Brunswick, the desire to cut spending on education. They link to a list of proposals circulated by the government - here's a good copy, the copy on HESA is unreadable - that range from closing campuses to limiting financial aid to in-province students only. The list of options displays the usual lack of imagination displayed by governments around higher education, viewing reducing enrollment as a demographic crisis. What is missing (from both the list of questions and the critique) is any discussion of getting more value from the system, such as offering broader community-based services to the whole population (not just 18-25s). And missing is the obvious way to make up $35-50M - tax the Irvings, New Brunswick's local billionaires. This kind of money can be found in their seat cushions.