Download .pdf* version of this flyer 
Photocopy it double-sided on an 8.5 x 14 piece of paper; cut the pages in half; and fold. |
Keep learners at the centre…
Save the Independent Learning Centre
75 years of distance education
It’s about access
In today’s world, it seems, you’ve got to keep learning just to survive. But "lifelong learning" is not easy. For thousands and thousands of Ontarians, going to school is simply not an option. They may work full time, inside or outside the home. They may be people with learning or physical disabilities. They might live in
remote parts of the province, in women’s shelters, or in institutions.
They count on the Independent Learning Centre (ILC) for access to high-quality education. Now, the Ontario government wants to download ILC to TVOntario. Lifelong learning is at risk for thousands of people.
As the Ministry of Education’s distance learning branch, ILC has provided distance education at the high school and elementary levels since 1926. Today, it serves over 24,000 distance learners per year – youth and adults of all ages. In addition, ILC provides the GED High School Equivalency testing in Ontario.
It’s about flexibility
In early January 2001, the Ministry of Education announce that it would download ILC – cut it out of the Ontario Public Service and hand it over to a "new media" department within TVOntario.
ILC puts learners at the centre. It helps them learn when and where they want. It suits their needs. There is a role for new media in distance learning, but it’s not for everyone. Forty-eight per cent of ILC’s students do not have a computer. Even among those who do own computers, many will need the portable and reliable paper-based materials they have come
to expect from ILC. If the download goes through, access to flexible programs and services will be at risk for thousands of people trying to achieve their goals through lifelong learning.
It’s about affordability
Once ILC is taken out of the Ministry of Education and put into TVO’s "new media" division, how affordable will its services be for average Ontarians looking to complete their education? Education Minister Janet Ecker offered no assurances that ILC courses will continue to reach all learners who need them.
Lifelong learning must be affordable for everyone. High costs can be a huge barrier to furthering one’s education. Forty-one per cent of ILC’s students scrape by on a household income of less than $25,000 a year. They do not own computers. They rely on the affordable, high-quality, paper-based materials that ILC provides.
Speak out for ILC!
Tell Minister Ecker her government must keep ILC in the Ministry of Education as part of the government’s responsibility to provide access to education to all Ontarians. The Ministry should be supporting access to ILC courses, not offloading it. Unfortunately, Minister Ecker seems to think that "If it ain’t
broke… break it."
Contact Janet Ecker:
By phone: 416-325-2600
By fax: 416-325-2608
By mail: Mowat Block, 22nd Floor,
900 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M7A 1L2
Produced by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, 100 Lesmill Road, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3P8. Web site: www.opseu.org; e-mail opseu@opseu.org
.gif){kind=small}