Ontario clamps down on public-private college partnerships amid cap on student permits

Ontario is imposing a moratorium on new public-private college partnerships, amid a slew of other changes aimed at protecting students and improving "the integrity of Ontario's post-secondary education."

Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop announced the move Fridayon the heelsof a recent federal government decision to capthe number of international student permits it issuesover the next two years in a bid to address the housing crisis.

Offered by 15 of Ontario's publicly funded colleges but delivered by private firms, the public-privatepartnership programs aretargeted to international students. Ontario's auditor generalreportedthat 24,000 international students were enrolled in such programs in the fall of 2020.

"The challenges stemming from the recent spike in students coming to Canada, including predatory practices by bad-actor recruiters, misinformation regarding citizenship and permanent residency, false promises of guaranteed employment, and inadequate housing for students, require immediate attention and collaborative action," Dunlop said in a news release.

"At the same time, we need to strengthen the links between Ontario's labour market needs and the programs being offered to students so we can get even more people into rewarding careers in health care and the skilled trades."

The other changes includeplans to startareview of programs at post-secondary schools that "have a sizeable amount of international students."

The province says it will also require all colleges and universities to guarantee housing options are available for incoming international students, and it will strengthen oversight of career colleges by better integrating enforcement efforts across ministries.

Earlier this week, the federal government also announced international students who begin public-private programs will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit. The provincial moratorium is in place while "further work is done to strengthen oversight mechanisms and ensure the quality of existing partnerships," according to the release.

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Migrant Students United says Ottawa's new cap on study permits punishes international students when it should be focusing on the institutions that are exploiting them. 'When one of us is being denied our rights, it hurts all of us,' says the group's national coordinator Sarom Rho.

The province said it will also work with other partners in the sector and the federal governmentto "explore ways tofurther crack down on bad-actor recruiters who take advantage of international students and make dubious claims of employment and citizenship."

The release says the province is still making its way through the recommendations an expert panel put forward late last year and that further detailswill be announced by the end of February.

"We must find more ways to work together to combat gross recruitment practices while protecting our ability to attract the world's best and brightest to study here in Ontario," said Dunlop.

Opposition parties call for dedicated funding

NDP MPP Jamie West, theofficial opposition critic for labour, training and skills development, said the Doug Ford government has been "asleep at the wheel" for the past five years, paving the way for a "predatory, for-profit education system."

"They are sloughing off their responsibilities to public colleges and universities instead of helping them, forcing students and the institutions themselves into a future of uncertainty," West said in a release.

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Ontario is imposing a moratorium on new public-private college partnerships, among other changes the province says will improve "the integrity of Ontario's post-secondary education." It comes on the heels of a recent federal government decision to cap the number of international student permits it issues over the next two years in a bid to address the housing crisis.

The party pointed to the expert panel's report, which found that Ontario's 2021-2022 fundingwas only 44 per cent per college student and 57 per cent per university studentcompared to the rest of Canada.

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreinersaid the requirement that colleges and universities have housing options available for incoming students without a funding commitment "is little more than smoke and mirrors." He said the government should increase funding and commit dedicated resources to address the issue.

"Right now, students and institutions alike are being thrown into chaos because of this government's act-now-think-later approach to policy," he wrote in a statement.

"Ford's failure to responsibly fund colleges and universities is not only threatening the financial stability of post-secondary education it is also making the housing crisis worse.

Colleges 'prepared' to be part of solution

Michael Sangster, the CEO of the National Association of Career Colleges, said his organization welcomes the opportunity to work with the provinces in building a new system that gives sectors in need of workers access to international students, while ensuring protections for them.

However, he said he's uncomfortable with the way colleges are being portrayed, he said. He points to colleges training about 18,000 personal support workers in Ontario and New Brunswick during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are making the difference," said Sangster. "We don't believe we are the problem,but we are prepared to step up and be part of the solution."

In a statement to CBC Toronto, Colleges Ontario,the association representing the province's 24 public colleges, said it "strongly" supports Dunlop's changes.

"We are committed to quality assuranceandhave begun work on an auditing process to ensure colleges are meeting the new standards," said president and CEO Marketa Evans.

"We continue to work with government and our communities on supports and services for international students.We have been actively working on new housing solutions and look forward to working with Minister Dunlop on these important matters."