Building universities we don’t need

By Ken Coates and Bill Morrison. Having driven the Green Economy bus off the cliff, the government of Ontario seems determined to do the same with post-secondary education. Over the past few years, the government has dangled a tasty carrot in front of mayors across the province: Partner up with an existing university, polytechnic institute or college, come up with a plan for a new post-secondary education program and you will be eligible for a campus in your own home town. In other words, municipalities are being asked to come up with an idea and the government is pledging to foot the bill. Whether or not any particular town has enough suitable students or a healthy enough job market to hire potential graduates is besides the point. More...