Summit ends without a consensus, protest followed

The Parti Quebecois’ Education Summit ended Tuesday without a consensus. 

According to CBC News, the government outlined their plan to increase tuition by three per cent annually, which works out to about 70$ a year.

Premier Pauline Marois stated her content with the two-day summit and said it had a positive impact.

With the summit wrapped up and the decision declared final, students took to the streets of Montreal yesterday afternoon. 

Thousands of students made their way to the city’s downtown core to protest the tuition increase. Police say ten people were arrested for assaulting officers. Protesters threw rocks and snowballs at police while they attempted to barricade and disperse the crowds.

The illegal protest was organized by the group ASSE who boycotted the summit. 

According to The Link Newspaper, Concordia students with a disability pay the same fees as students without. However it seems they aren’t given the same access to university services.

CSU councilor Patrick Lefebvre, who is wheelchair bound, called for the establishment of a Disabled Students Attendants Fund to help fix the problem that affects nearly 900 students.

So far, little progress has been made. Lefebvre has been invited to two meetings held by CSU VP Finance Keny Toto but has been unable to attend.

Lefebvre stated that the meetings were too last minute. He said he was only given about 12 hours’ notice which isn’t enough time to secure adapted transportation.

Due to a lack of funding, Concordia’s Access Centre for Students with Disabilities has been limited to offering services related to academics.

Despite the lack of progress, Lefebvre isn’t giving up his efforts to improve accessibility for disabled students in all areas of university life. He says the only thing he wants to do before graduating is set up the fund.

STORY WRITTEN BY: JAMIE-LEE GORDON