Universities getting involved in promoting the Canada Learning Bond
As the Canada Learning Bond Coordinator at Vancouver Island University – the only university in Canada to have a full time staff member committed solely to the promotion of the Canada Learning Bond – the role of post-secondary institutions in doing this type of work is constantly on my mind. Universities are no longer the isolated ivory towers of education, accessible only to the privileged one per cent. Universities are integral parts of their communities and participate in purposeful ways to meet the challenges faced by the community.
VIU is engaged in the promotion of the Canada Learning Bond for a number of reasons. We believe in access to education for all who wish to pursue it. We believe that higher education has the power to provide a path out of poverty and change the trajectory of a person’s life. We believe that we have a role in making post-secondary education a possibility for those for whom it was only a dream or a wish. One of the ways we do that is through the promotion of the CLB.
We know that providing more citizens with the option to attend post-secondary is good for our community. As Glen A. Jones, Ontario Research Chair on Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement and Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, notes, a post-secondary education is associated with a “wide range of social returns, including a healthier population, greater civic engagement and lower crime rates.” (Glen A. Jones. “Broadening Accessibility to Postsecondary Education in Canada.” Academic Matters, September 10, 2010).
As the eventual recipients of money saved in RESPs, universities ought to work to promote the idea of saving early for a child’s education. We ought to help young learners see post-secondary as a viable option. We ought to reach into our communities and try to help address issues of poverty. I am proud to say that every day, at Vancouver Island University, we do just that!
By Rolanda Murray
Vancouver Island University’s Canada Learning Bond Coordinator
