Toronto U of T: University of Toronto Schools | 20.42m | 3s | Diamond Schmitt

Northern Light · Feb 1, 2021

interchange42 said:
There is a bursary fund available to families who cannot afford the tuition fees… but yes, it would be nice to return to the days when the fund wasn't necessary.

42

Bursaries in all forms have proven to be problematic.

The reasons for this are:

1) Many students/families are unaware of them, and only see the 'sticker' price. They then conclude it's not an option for them. For many low-income families there simply isn't an awareness that a bursary exists, let alone the understanding of where/how to look into it further.

2) Asking for the bursary has a certain social stigma to it. Many families would not feel comfortable doing so, and are therefore excluded.

3) Where bursaries exist, but only in sufficient amount to fund a small minority of students, those of low-income means may be stigmatized by their peer group, who are considerably more affluent. That may well be intentional (kids can be mean) but need not be. It's simply that other kids get to go do that thing after school that you can't afford; or can enjoy automatically any elaborate field/international trips, where the low-income student would again need to request help.

I'm a big believer in free, universal programs in both Health and Education.

Where free isn't possible, then universally very cheap.

Johnny Au · Feb 1, 2021

Northern Light said:
Bursaries in all forms have proven to be problematic.

The reasons for this are:

1) Many students/families are unaware of them, and only see the 'sticker' price. They then conclude it's not an option for them. For many low-income families there simply isn't an awareness that a bursary exists, let alone the understanding of where/how to look into it further.

2) Asking for the bursary has a certain social stigma to it. Many families would not feel comfortable doing so, and are therefore excluded.

3) Where bursaries exist, but only in sufficient amount to fund a small minority of students, those of low-income means may be stigmatized by their peer group, who are
considerably more affluent. That may well be intentional (kids can be mean) but need not be. It's simply that other kids get to go do that thing after school that you can't afford; or can enjoy automatically any elaborate field/international trips, where the low-income student would again need to request help.

I'm a big believer in free, universal programs in both Health and Education.

Where free isn't possible, then universally very cheap.

This is why I'm strongly opposed to American-style school vouchers.

Northern Light · Feb 1, 2021

Johnny Au said:
This is why I'm strongly opposed to American-style school vouchers.

Voucher's simply don't achieve anything, at least in the U.S. context.

Their education systems all trail Ontario's; the most vouchered of States (Michigan) continues to have poor performing public schools; w/Charter schools that by and large aren't any better.

On top of that; Vouchers issued to every parent tend to open up more options for upper-middle income students who can be driven long-distances to school or get Ubered back and forth etc.

Where low-income students tend to be trapped in areas with a lack of good options, and no means to transit to any better ones.