Tuition discount precedes Drummond Report By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Ontario's Liberal government announced last week it will give undergraduate post-secondary students a tuition discount, up to 30 per cent of total costs. This is part of the Dalton McGuinty government's strategy to educate more young people, said Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn. "This really just adds onto the importance the Province places on education," Flynn said. "It doesn't mean you can throw money all over the place at things. It means you have to be very strategic about the way you assist the most amount of people to get the most educated workforce at the end of the day because that's the best thing for us all." The tuition break is for Ontario university or college students who are no more than four years out of high school and whose parents' gross income is $160,000 per year or less. The program begins immediately, meaning university students can already apply for the $800 grant for this semester and college students can receive $365. These amounts reflect the costs of the remaining semester this year. A full school year would see those amounts doubled. The Province said more than 300,000 undergraduate students are eligible for the grant this year. Flynn touted the turnaround in the quality of education in Ontario since the Dalton McGuinty-led Liberals took over power in 2003. Prior to 2003, six out of 10 students graduated high school, class sizes were above 30 students and the government was giving tax credits to private schools. Currently, class sizes have been reduced for kindergarten to Grade 4 students. Students are achieving better test scores and the graduation rate is above 80 per cent. The Province has also implemented full-time junior and senior kindergarten -- the first jurisdiction in North America to do so. "I think in the future you'll probably see further initiatives," said Flynn. "This, to me, is a reasonable and a sound investment. We're not taking any money out of the colleges or universities themselves. It's not coming on the backs of the quality of education. It's being funded internally, efficiencies within government, specifically the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities." 9 · Wednesday, January 11, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com "What I'm looking for in the Drummond Report is for government to get back to doing the basic things it does well and to maybe look at the things it got involved with in the past that perhaps it shouldn't be involved in, in the future." Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn Flynn said parents have been receptive to the tuition break, which can eliminate student debt levels upon graduation. Flynn added the Province has a very good reason for helping more students attend post-secondary institutions. When the global economic woes abate, Ontario will need to be able to attract investments from overseas. "(Investors) look to the Province of Ontario because of the approach we've taken to post-secondary education," he said. "We see this as part of the solution. We see this is a courageous move. There's every reason in the world not to do it and to say we'd really like to do it, but we can't afford to do it. "That's like not maintaining your house when things get a little tough. Post-secondary education is the future of our economy and you have to treat it the same way as other direct investments in our economy." The MPP said more Ontario students head into post-secondary education than anywhere else in the Western world. The news came at the same time as previews of the anticipated release this week of the commission, led by former bank economist Don Drummond who was tasked to help the government return to a balanced budget. The report is expected to call for a major overhaul of government spending, with cuts as deep as 30 per cent in some departments. Despite this grim forecast, Flynn said Ontario will continue to fight for quality education and healthcare. "What I'm looking for in the Drummond Report is for government to get back to doing the basic things it does well and to maybe look at the things it got involved with in the past that perhaps it shouldn't be involved in, in the future," he said. "The things that it is responsible for doing, like healthcare, like education, are things it should concentrate on and should do well. You have to excel at it. You don't want to be in the middle of the pack. You don't want a mediocre hospital or you don't want a mediocre college. You want them to excel, to be the best in the world." Flynn said the Drummond Report will lead the government to examine itself, what it should be doing and what people want it to be doing. Meanwhile, students can apply for the tuition grant and those receiving OSAP are already considered. To apply for the grant, visit www.ontario. ca/30off. Dominik Kurek can be reached at dkurek@oakvillebeaver.com or followed on Twitter at @DominikKurek. INCORPORATION SERVICES Wouldn't You Like To Know That Your Business And Family Assets Are Protected In The Event Of A Lawsuit Or Personal Bankruptcy? The IncorporatorsTM Will Build A Corporate And Personal Asset Structure For You That Will Help You Attain This Goal. 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