On February 15, a commission led by economist Don Drummond released a report that recommends widespread government spending reductions and service changes in Ontario.
Mr. Drummond was commissioned by the provincial government to review public services to reduce the deficit, and his recommendations touch all parts of government, including postsecondary education.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has indicated that his government will now weigh the recommendations as it prepares its provincial budget, and its long term plan for deficit reduction.
Several of Mr. Drummond’s recommendations could directly or indirectly affect colleges; the most significant relate to applied degree programs, tuition rates and rebates, credential recognition and differentiation between schools.
While it’s important to remember that these are only recommendations at this point, it’s equally important to understand that the provincial government’s efforts to significantly reduce the provincial deficit and achieve stability in challenging economic times will undoubtedly affect all areas of the public service in Ontario, including colleges.
At Niagara College, providing excellent academic programs and top-notch student services in a fiscally responsible manner has always been a focus. We have managed to balance our budgets in recent years by finding efficiencies in our operations, and I again thank everyone who has contributed to finding and implementing these improvements. We will maintain this focus, but it should be recognized that this process may certainly become more challenging as the province makes difficult decisions in order to achieve financial stability in Ontario.
Ontario’s colleges will review the Drummond Report in detail, and we will work with the province to ensure quality postsecondary education remains a priority in Ontario.
The full report is available online.
