Adult Basic Education Made Tuition Fee-Free

Students are celebrating a major victory for some of British Columbia's most impoverished students, with the BC government announcement that tuition fees will be eliminated for all adult basic education (ABE) courses. The announcement comes on the heels of a massive government relations effort from the Canadian Federation of Students in the Spring and thousands of postcards signed by students in the first days of the fall semester.

"Today the government heeded the call of students, faculty, and other members of the public and made all high school level education tuition fee-free in this province," said Shamus Reid, BC Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "This commitment is a big step forward after years of skyrocketing tuition fees and declining enrolment in adult basic education programs."

Over the past year, the Canadian Federation of Students, which represents thousands of ABE students in BC, has secured recommendations to make ABE tuition fee-free from the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services and the Campus 2020 Report, through formal presentations and a letter writing campaign. In April, members of the Federation met with 61 MLAs, securing majority support for the initiative.

"Minister of Advanced Education Murray Coell has made the right decision," said Reid. "ABE students, a majority of whom live below the poverty line, will no longer be expected to pay upwards of $500 for a Math 11 course."

Adult basic education is the provision of primary and high school level education to adults, hoping to complete or upgrade their basic education in order to attend post-secondary, or attain a higher-level of employment. It is an important means of addressing low high school completion rates amongst Aboriginal youth. More than 70% of adult basic education students live below the poverty line.