Education Under Siege

Ontario’s higher education sector is at a breaking point. From the systematic marketization of colleges and universities to the sustained attack on labour rights, the provincial government’s strategy is clear: treat education as a commodity rather than a social good. Join us for a political discussion as we analyze the maneuvers of the Doug Ford government — including the devastating shift from OSAP grants to loans, the manufactured "international student crisis," and the broader austerity agenda threatening social equality. We explore strategies for a labour and community-led response, highlighting ongoing student and labour fightbacks and providing a direct opportunity for attendees to plug into the organizing work necessary to defend, expand, and decommodify our public institutions. The discussion is a part of the ongoing Higher Education Workers’ campaign of the Socialist Project. If you work at a higher education institution, we’d love to get you involved in the campaign! This event is being supported by the Leo Panitch School for Socialist Education as a part of its ongoing series of educational discussions on current labour and political struggles. 0:00 Introductions 4:57 Bryan Evans 18:50 Maddy Lee 28:08 Sam Nithiananthan 37:37 Niko Block 52:15 Q+A Recorded in Toronto, 23 May 2026.