June 2000 Fraser Forum: Private Universities in Ontario? It Just Might Happen

[Previous][Contents] [Next]

Michael Taube

There are no private secular universities in Canada that are accredited to award degrees in the humanities and the sciences. And while there are a number of private religious universities that have this ability, including Redeemer College (Ontario) and Trinity Western University (BC), this does not make up for the fundamental lack of educational choice in this country.

Canadians have had to listen to public administrators, professors, and student radicals for decades on this issue. These groups complain that publicly-funded universities will suffer financially once private universities have been established. They state that there will be an unbalanced two-tier education system - one tier for the children of wealthy families, and the other tier for the rest of us. And they warn of the possibility of an "Americanization" of our post-secondary education system.

All of these concerns are completely inaccurate. First, students will be allowed to attend private universities regardless of race, religion, gender, or income status. As always, higher education will be available to those who truly want it. Second, there will be plenty of scholarships and bursaries available to Canadian students. If international private universities such as Britain's Buckingham University and Australia's Bond University can offer financial aid, why can't Canadian schools do the same? And third, public and private universities have always been able to co-exist and compete in the same education marketplace. This includes countries such as Japan, where most students attend private universities, and the US, where most students attend public universities.

However, with the exception of New Brunswick, no other Canadian province has supported the creation of private, secular universities until very recently.

On April 28, 2000, Ontario Premier Mike Harris announced that he would support the creation of private universities to compete with publicly-funded universities and colleges in his province. In a recent report entitled Increasing Degree Opportunities for Ontarians, the government "approved the establishment of private, degree-granting institutions in Ontario, including for-profit and not-for-profit institutions."1 Dianne Cunningham, the Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, stated that private universities would not be supported by Ontario taxpayers, and that a month-long process of public consultations would be conducted so that proper regulations are set up.2

This was a complete reversal of the Ontario government's position four years ago on the same topic. In 1996, the Ontario Tories supported the idea of legalizing private universities. An Advisory Panel on Future Directions for Postsecondary Education, headed by former Queen's University principal David Smith, was launched to examine the issue, eventually producing a report entitled Excellence, Accessibility, Responsibility. But after a number of positive media comments by Mr. Harris and then-Education Minister John Snobelen about private universities, the government walked away from it.3

This time, however, the Ontario Tories are ready to support it. For example, the Ontario Legislative Library was commissioned to produce a non-biased report on the arguments for and against private universities.4 Despite its examinations of private enterprise versus the public good, international private universities, and the recent Canadian experience with this issue, the paper itself did not reach any conclusions. But an interesting final point was made about what the proper definition of a university actually should be. If it means "a particular type of education and environment," then for-profit universities are at odds with traditional public and private non-profit universities; but if it means "providing legitimacy or credibility to post-secondary education that meets a certain acceptable standard of quality," then non-traditional programs would make sense.5

And the Ontario premier is once again making positive comments about the benefits of private universities. As Mr. Harris recently stated, "The potential advantages could be many more students being able to be educated here, attracting students from around the world instead of us having students go to other jurisdictions for some of their postsecondary education."6

The Ontario government's decision to allow private universities is quite firm, although one suspects that the public consultation period might last longer than a month. Naturally, it will take a couple of years before a private university is up and running in the province. It takes time to get a financial house in order, and to find a site to begin the construction of a small campus or facility. There is still a long road ahead for the successful applicants of Ontario-based private universities.

However, this important step by the Ontario Tories is to be highly commended. Freedom of choice in Canada's one-tier higher education system may soon become a reality.

Notes

1. Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Increasing Degree Opportunities for Ontarians, April 2000, p. 3.
2. See Richard Brennan, "Jeers greet private university promise," Toronto Star, April 29, 2000, p. A10; Virginia Galt, "Plan for private universities blasted," Globe and Mail, April 29, 2000, p. A9; and Hank Daniszewski, "Ontario opens door to private universities," London Free Press, April 29, 2000, pp. A1, A13.
3. Lisa Wright, "University donation lauded," Toronto Star, May 10, 1996, p. A12. Mr. Harris was quoted as saying that "We may have private-sector universities in Ontario and philosophically I personally think that could be a good thing."
4. Larry Johnston, "Private Universities in Ontario," Current Issue Paper 203, March 2000. Mr. Johnston is a research officer for the Ontario Legislative Library.
5. Ibid., p. 19.
6. Richard Mackie, "Province backs private universities," Globe and Mail, April 28, 2000, p. A5.

[Previous][Contents/A>] [Next]

info@fraserinstitute.ca
4th Floor, 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6J 3G7
Tel: (604) 688-0221 Fax: (604) 688-8539 Book Orders: 1-800-665-3558 ext. 580

You can contact us at the above email address for any comments or information requests. Please report any dead links or technical problems.