The Ford government of Ontario announced yesterday (Jan. 26) six new measures to review courses offered by colleges and universities that admit a large number of international students.
According to a press release issued by the province on Friday afternoon, measures will be taken to "protect international students and improve the integrity of higher education in Ontario." ”
"The recent surge in the number of international students coming to Canada poses challenges, including predatory practices by bad recruiters, misinformation about citizenship and permanent residency, false promises of job security, and inadequate housing for international students, and Ontario needs immediate attention and coordinated action," Ontario Minister of Higher Education Jill Dunlop said in a statement. ”
"At the same time, we need to strengthen the link between the needs of the labor market in Lesser and the provision of courses for students so that we can get more people into highly rewarding careers in healthcare and technology. ”
To protect the integrity of higher education and promote employment in key sectors such as health care and the technology industry, the Ontario government is implementing six new measures:
1. Review the programs offered by post-secondary institutions with a large number of international students to ensure program quality, protect Ontario's reputation as a world leader in education, and meet the needs of Ontario's labor market.
2. Ensure that the courses offered meet the needs of the labor market so that students can establish a life in Ontario after completing their studies.
3. Suspend the establishment of new partnerships between public universities and private colleges, while further strengthening monitoring mechanisms and ensuring the quality of existing partnerships.
4. Take steps to increase the response rate to student achievement surveys, which will help ensure the best academic outcomes.
5. All colleges and universities are required to guarantee accommodation options for incoming international students.
6. For Career Colleges, in order to better integrate the enforcement work of various departments, the supervision of Career Colleges will be strengthened, including strengthening the effectiveness of data management, documentation processes and compliance investigations, and ensuring timely response to concerns and complaints.
The number of international students in Canada has surged in recent years, and there are concerns that some schools are recruiting large numbers of international students just to increase their income.
On Monday, the federal government announced that it would reduce the number of student visas by 35 per cent, and Ontario by half.
The new rule has been heavily criticized by Ontario Public Colleges and the Ontario University Council, who argue it has created "utter chaos" and unfairly penalizes responsible institutions.
The new rules will also have a serious impact on international students who plan to attend Ontario's post-secondary institutions.
However, Ontario Minister of Higher Education Dunlop said the new measures proposed by the province were "sensible" given Ontario's housing affordability crisis.
"We need to make sure that the students who come here to study have a place to live. ”