It’s the start of a new school year
I’ve always found that September, not January, brings the new year feelings.
The start of school promises fresh adventures and new challenges. It invites the kind of determined optimism that I’m seeing here at Memorial University of Newfoundland, as students from across the province, the country, and the world arrive on campus.
That’s a sentiment to encourage us all as we face Trump’s intensified trade war, the uncertainty of hyped-up AI, climate breakdown, and the human toll of growing inequality. Canada’s public colleges and universities are foundational to meeting these and other collective challenges. They are vital infrastructure for our times.
Canadians are rightly proud of our post-secondary system of education and research. It has long offered students high-quality education wherever they are in the country, as I know firsthand.
That kind of equitable system is more important than ever. Students must not face an education lottery based on their postal code or income. It’s not the Canada we need or want.
The Unlock Education campaign aims to strengthen public post-secondary education and research and ensure it is available to all.
Help us build the campaign by sharing why public universities and colleges matter.
Wishing you a great start to the new year,
Robin Whitaker
CAUT President