Ontario College Strike: My Perspective- Annoyed, Angry and Understanding

\"Write a blog post!\" my brain has been screaming at me for the last few weeks. Possibly months. Almost a year.

*cue internal shame music*

Ok. I've been tardy with posting stories/experiences. Very tardy. In fact, if I was given a pink slip for everytime I should have posted something relevant to the World Pulse community I would have been able to recycle a small trees' worth of paper.

Alas, this community did not get rid of me though. I am here, back again with a story worth telling.

As a human rights activist I fight to achieve the United Nations Millennium Goals- one of them being education. As a Canadian, I am privileged that my taxes have sent me to kindergarten, elementary and high school. Although sometimes my spelling, and grammar might suggest otherwise, I am a educated woman.

In North America it is almost guaranteed that you will need a post secondary education in order to get a job. While my grandmother was able to get a secretary position with a grade eight education, and my mother a music teacher position with only a high school education, I will need at least a Masters Degree and experience to get a job...especially when treading in the waters of activism- politics, demographics, aid and resources- I am unlikelyto make the amountof impact I want without education.

So I went to college in hopes of getting a bachelor's degree in International Development. It was a fantastic experience to be in a class of about 30 people, who are like minded. The kind of people that read the news and question the information given. The kind of people that after gathering the information they need will fight for what will be the greater good.

I admit, I know I am privileged to have received such an amazing foundation of education. I am thankful.

I am not thankful for the bullying that came with that education.

So, when I made the move to college to my surprise I fell in love with learning again. It took me four application process periods to finally accept an offer.

College and university, unlike primary and secondary education in Canada, are completelyfree. While publically funded, it costs about 3 to 5 thousand dollars per semester. In my current situation, I could not afford to go to college, and live in the area. So to receive the education that I need (and want) I work, and commute to school every morning.

I am a full time student, and (between two jobs) amfull time employed. I wake up at 5 am to get to school, and go to bed late at night to complete the work that needs to be finished. When I am not at school, I am at work. When I am not at work, I am at school. I do not want days off. I want to learn and I want to work. I have goals and I will achieve them. My motto is that quote from that one movie: \"...Unless you are making someone's life better you are wasting your time.\"

Four weeks into my new found love at my busy life the unlikelyhappened.

Ontario Colleges went on strike. And lasted 5 weeks. We went 5 weeks with no school what so ever. I could not contact my teachers, my teachers could not contact me.

With limited communication comes confusion. With confusion comes anger. And that is exactly what happened.

I was angry that I paid about 3.5 thousand dollars to not go to school. I was angry that once the strike was over I would have to pay another 3.5 thousand dollars to pay for another semester- another semester that was not guaranteed.There was no talk about refund. There was talk about making us lose our semester. There was talk about making students pay more money. There was talk of students suing the colleges. There was talk of international students not allowed to go home. There was talk of \"drop out now and hope to get in next year.\"

There was talk of how it was in the colleges interest to remain on strike so they could retain $5million dollars a week from not working.

There was talk of how the union would not talk to the labour board. There was talk of the colleges not talking to the union.

There was talk and no answers.

Until the government was forced to be involved, so colleges had to continue working. And then there was talk of another political party striking down the proposed motion.

After being upset for too long, I simmered. Still mad, still annoyed, and still wanting education.

I simmered and reflected.

With talk in the air of the strike, the week before it happened, a few words of a few classmates remained with me.

As being in an international development program, a lot of our students are international. Coming to Canada for education so they can return to their \"home country\" (many of them consider Canadahome as well ) and make a difference.

Like the words of the kid who had lived through two military coups and experienced stoppage of education only to come to Canada and experience a stoppage of education. This student was in disbelief that this could happen.

And then I remember the kids that I sign petitions for. I remember the kids I contact my MP, Premier and Prime Minister for: to fight on the international stage for, because even though I can it is very unlikely to be heard. The kids who don't have education and may never be educated, despite the United Nation Millennium Development Goals. The kids that I stand up on stages and yell for, until a.) my throat swells shut or b.) someone listens.

And then I think: It has been a frustrating few weeks. I have been mad, annoyed, upset. I have felt cheated.

But now I understand at a personal level as to why we need to fight for universal education.

I now understand why it's important to become the \"politicians of the future.\"

I am not meekly going back to school. I am going to keep my nose in my books, learn local, domestic and international policy until I can recite them forwards, backwards and in my sleep. I am going back to school with the intention of learning as much as I can- to make sure others can go to school.

\"They\" took away my education. And they gave it back.

A different \"They\" are not giving some people education.

And now it's time to fight for it.

And remember: \"hell has no fury than a student scorn.\"