Students mark National Students' Day

OTTAWA, Oct. 12, 2011 /CNW/ - On this day - National Students' Day - students call on all levels of government to make post-secondary education accessible to everyone, regardless of their economic circumstances.

"We urge governments to recognize that education is a right and should be funded adequately," said Roxanne Dubois, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "The Canadian Federation of Students' Declaration of Student Rights is a good reminder that Canada has a long way to go to build an accessible system of post-secondary education."

All students, full or part-time, have the right to:

1. an accessible, high quality education at all levels;
2. an accessible public education at all levels;
3. grants, the amount of which to be determined based solely on individual financial need;
4. grants on the same basis as all other students;
5. grants that are completely portable;
6. grants for those receiving disability pensions regardless of the program in which they are enrolled;
7. be fully informed of the availability of financial assistance programs before they plan their post-secondary studies;
8. receive an education in Canada without being subject to differential fees;
9. easy physical access to all buildings and grounds of any institution;
10. facilities, services and financial resources in programs of their choice, free from barriers of a physical or attitudinal nature;
11. an education in English, French, and/or Indigenous languages;
12. complete a program on the same terms that existed at the time of admission to that program;
13. participate in aid programs which do not change during the duration of the school year in which they applied, without mutual consent
14. facilities, services, and financial resources required for parents who are acquiring a post-secondary education;
15. available and accessible study space on campus;
16. attend the institution best suited to a student's educational needs, without financial, social or physical barriers;
17. adequate access to all materials, literature (including textbooks), equipment and study aids necessary for the continuance and completion, to the best of a student's abilities, of their education;
18. access to high quality education regardless of geographic location of the institution;
19. equal opportunity to academic expression in the official language of their choice; and
20. justice in the educational community and to an education free from racism.

The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organisation, uniting more than one-half million students in all ten provinces. The Canadian Federation of Students and its predecessor organisations have represented students in Canada since 1927.

For further information:

Roxanne Dubois, National Chairperson, mobile: [phone], email: [e-mail]