Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to reiterate something I have been pursuing the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on over the last few days in the House and many months prior to that. It has to do with the student financial assistance for post-secondary students with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, currently those students with disabilities who manage to get into the conventional post-secondary educational institutions are covered under the student financial assistance. There is also a separate grant to meet extra needs. The concern I have is with those students with disabilities who work just as hard to obtain education that would make them fully employable and maximize their human potential, but not in conventional post-secondary institutions as recognized under the SFA.
The department has taken the position and continues to maintain that some of these institutions do not qualify as a post-secondary education. This is in spite of the fact that in July of last year, the SFA appeals board ruled to the contrary in reversing the department's decision. The board determined that: "based on the evidence, the transitional vocation program is a post-secondary school education for the purpose of the regulations." Mr. Speaker, I believe that this was the right decision and before looking into the interpretation of the SFA regulation section 12, that is in line with the general principle and the intent of the act itself.
Rather than respecting the decision and adjusting the policy guidelines accordingly, the Minister and the department decided to do the opposite. They have decided to dismiss the board's decision and treat it as though it's something erroneous and as a misinterpretation of the act. In doing so, Mr. Speaker, the Minister continues to exclude them from the SFA and by way of grants to NGOs, but this is not sufficient. This is, in effect, telling them that they are not equal. They are not as valued as those students without a disability. This also is effectively placing their future at the whim of the government policy and government financial stability of the day.
Mr. Speaker, this is wrong and I call on the Minister to revisit his position and make it right. I ask him to send a strong message that the students with disabilities are entitled to and deserve an equal place and treatment under the law; that we stand behind them while they go through inclusive schooling and beyond; that they have a place in our law and our regulations equal to that of every other student who struggles through the post-secondary education and into their working life. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
