See text below
EXCERPTS
...
After only eight months of operation and three years of student
subsidy, the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) has announced that
it will be closing the doors of the Early Learning Centre - the campus'
only onsite child care.
"Students have been fighting for an Early Learning Centre for
more than 6 years on our campus. It is stunning to me that the
university would turn its back on student parents at a time when the
economy is lagging and unemployment is so high," said Vickita Bhatt,
Vice-President Equity of the University of Toronto at Mississauga
Students' Union. "Campus child care helps to open up educational
opportunities for many who are struggling in this economy and it would
be shameful for UTM to return to being a campus without any support for
student parents."
...
This week, the University contacted the parents of the UTM Early
Learning Centre to inform them that the Centre would be shut down at
the end of June and no support services would be offered in the
upcoming year. This decision came as a surprise to UTM students, who
voted three years ago to charge a levy to every student to support the
Centre, and who have increased the levy by over 300% since then. This
year, the University demanded an increase in the per full time student
levy from $7.92 a year to $18.03. When student leaders objected to the
increase, UTM Principal Ian Orchard declared campus childcare "a failed
experiment" and the centre's unionized staff received their termination
notice.
"Students have accepted the levy increases because they support
campus child care, but the Administration is shirking its
responsibility in ensuring that affordable child care is available,"
said Danielle Sandhu, Vice-President Campus Life of the University of
Toronto Students' Union. "The answer is not a 128% levy increase for
students, but a commitment from the Administration to ensure access to
education for students with families."
...
- reprinted from the Canadian News Wire