Today, student union leaders from across Nova Scotia met with the Department of Advanced Education in an attempt to bargain to have our demands met in advance of the historic March 15-21 provincial student strike.

We were informed shortly before the meeting that Minister of Education Brendan Maguire would not be attending. We met with Deputy Minister of Education Tracey Barbrick and her staff.

Students boldly raised critical issues regarding skyrocketing tuition fees, Bill 12, and the challenges faced by Indigenous students.

Students raised the demands of the March 15-21 provincial student strike, and gave a clear ultimatum.

Students demand:

Affordable Tuition, defined as:

1. Standardization: the abolition of differential fees for international students, and for out of province students, and the end to the federal cap on the number of international students, to be made possible by increased government funding.

2. Affordability: the immediate 20% decrease to all tuition fees for all students at every public postsecondary institution across Canada, to be made possible by increased government funding.

and,

Divestment, defined as divestment by our universities from:

1. All weapons manufacturing or armament producing entities.

2. All entities directly involved in the production of fossil fuels.

3. All entities which directly or indirectly support genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (including but not limited to those supporting current genocides and crises in Palestine, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan).

4. All entities which directly profit from the exploitation of resources on sovereign Indigenous land without the consent of the Indigenous people(s) with ancestral ties to that land, or that in any other way violate treaties between colonial governments and Indigenous peoples.

In response, the students were met with excuses.

When discussing the reality of students going on strike, the Deputy Minister claimed, "It's hard for students to take a week off."

For many students, it's hard not to strike. It’s hard to save money for food and rent each month. It’s hard to take out new student loans, knowing this province just cut millions of dollars in grants to the field of work that you are studying to enter.

Students are beyond frustrated. We are facing the harsh realities of high tuition costs and detrimental cuts to our education. We are facing a housing crisis, a youth unemployment crisis, and an affordability crisis. We are facing global threats of climate catastrophe and constant war. We are facing a government with a vision for a future that does not include a decent life for students or workers.

Our struggles are local, provincial, national, and global. This is unavoidable. We demand, ultimately, a decent future.

Alexina St. Pierre-Farrow, chairperson of CFS-NS, participated in the meeting and says, "Students across the province have been let down by our government for years already, and we are struggling to see a prosperous future in a province where our politicians are willing to violate treaties and sacrifice our present quality of life and our future. For many students, the most recent budget cuts are the last straw. On March 15, the students will begin a strike lasting one week. The next strike may not have an end date. We know a better future is possible, and we demand it.”

Since Minister Maguire could not attend, we have sent him the following questions for an urgent response: 1. What is being done to materially help students who are struggling with the exorbitant cost of living and lack of access to safe and quality housing? 2. How will Indigenous students be impacted by recent budget cuts to grant funding for Mi'kmaq services in the Education Department and the cutting of grants for the Mi'kmaq Native Friendship Centre, on top of the emotional, ecological and economic toll of extractive industry and recent raids on Treaty Truckhouses? 3. Given the recent funding cuts, what considerations are being made for students who are already beneficiaries of existing scholarships, including graduate and postdoctoral students who have recently been awarded funding and have begun or about to begin their programs with the expectation of continued support? Some of these students are pursuing studies in priority labour-shortage areas such as Child & Youth Study. How does the government plan to ensure that these students are not adversely affected and that the province does not risk losing critical talent in fields that directly support Nova Scotia's workforce needs?

We have asked for a response by next Thursday, March 12.

No more excuses, Minister Maguire.

Students of Nova Scotia, join us for day one of the strike at the ALL OUT MARCH 15 rally, taking place at 12 PM at the Old Library (5381 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax).

Follow @cfsns and @novascotiastudentstrike for essential information and continuous updates.

It's time for our voices to be heard. It’s time for our power to be felt. It’s time to get organized, and unite in action.

The students united will never be defeated!

Media Contacts:

Alexina St. Pierre-Farrow CFS-NS Provincial Chairperson

chairperson@cfs-ns.ca

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