Youth threatened by growing disparity.

[Rocky Road]

"Their employment prospects are dim, their debt is high, their lives are on hold and a stunning number are living with their parents, even into their 30s. They are young adults, 18 to 34, struggling to begin their adult lives during the worst economy since the Great Depression, and they risk becoming a lost generation, according to an extensive new study released Wednesday by two advocacy groups."

http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/02/8586286-recession-threatens-generation-of-young-adults-inspires-occupy-protests

http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/prb0917-e.htm

Despite a significant decline in the number of Canadians(1) living below the low-income threshold(2) over the past decade, low income remains a significant challenge for many people in this country.(3) This document provides a statistical overview of poverty in Canada as it affects unattached individuals and families. Particular emphasis is given to the prevalence of low income among specific population groups, including children, older people, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, and others.(4)

■In 2007, 9.2% of Canadians – some 2.95 million people – were living on a low income. This represents a decline from the 10.5% prevalence of low income in 2006 and is significantly less than the high of 15.2% in 1996. The year 2007 saw the lowest rate of low income observed since Statistics Canada began to collect these data in 1976.(5)

■The prevalence of low income in 2007 was highest in British Columbia (11.1%), followed by Quebec (10.7%) and Manitoba (9.8%). Prince Edward Island had the lowest rate of low income, at 5.0%. Newfoundland and Labrador saw a significant decline in the prevalence of low income between 2003 (12.2%) and 2007 (6.5%). Alberta witnessed a similar decline, from 10.7% in 2003 to 6.1% in 2007. Every province experienced a decrease in the overall prevalence of low income between 2006 and 2007.(6)

[PIK]

Some blame goes to the parents, and of course our education system, which produced stupid and lazy kids.

[TwoDucks]

Some blame goes to the parents, and of course our education system, which produced stupid and lazy kids.

Yeah, stupid lazy kids. They deserve poverty, huh?

[Rocky Road]

"This study found that well over one-half (57%) of the graduating class of 2005 had student loans, up from 49% 10 years earlier. Average student debt on graduation rose from $15,200 to $18,800 during the same decade. Also, the proportion of borrowers who graduated with debt loads of at least $25,000 increased to 27% in 2005 from 17% in 1995."

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/100129/dq100129c-eng.htm

[Smallc]

of course our education system, which produced stupid and lazy kids.

Which I'm sure you'll back up with evidence showing how Canada's education is bad.

[Michael Hardner]

Yeah, stupid lazy kids. They deserve poverty, huh?

In my day, kids only had ONE duck...

[Rocky Road]

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2011/11/07/pew_center_young_old_wealth_gap_net_income_disparity_at_all_time_high_.html

"In addition to mounting college loans and bleak job prospects, young Americans now have something else weighing them down: the widest wealth gap ever between the young and old.

Households headed by a person 65 or older have a median net worth 47 times greater than households headed by a person under 35, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. In dollars, that gap amounts to a median net worth of $170,494 for older households, compared to $3,662 for those under 35.

Older Americans have always historically had more money than young people, but the existing disparity has doubled since 2005. Just 25 years ago, older households held about 10 times more wealth—less than a quarter of the current gap—after adjusting for inflation.

The data also has potential political implications, particularly as the Nov. 23 deadline looms for the congressional supercommittee tasked with finding $1.2 savings over the next decade. As the Associated Press explains, the data "casts a spotlight on a government safety net that has buoyed older Americans on Social Security and Medicare amid wider cuts to education and other programs." At the same time, wealth inequality, high unemployment and growing student debt have also emerged as rallying points for Occupy Wall Street protesters in cities nationwide.

Demographers attribute some of the shift to young people marrying later, coupled with increasing numbers of young single parents. Housing is another crucial variable. A home is typically a young person’s most valuable asset, but increasing debt and falling home values during the recession have magnified a 31 percent decrease in housing wealth for those under 35 since 1984, according to the AP. During the same period, the number of people 35 and under with a net worth of zero has nearly doubled, to 37 percent."

[Rocky Road]

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/22/massive-student-strike-begins-with-port-blockade

MONTREAL - Tens of thousands of students gathered at the site of the 1995 pre-referendum rally Thursday, beating drums and chanting slogans in the largest protest to date against tuition hikes.

They held banners that read "education, a collective right" and "Charest cuts access" during the demonstration at Place du Canada, a large park nestled amid downtown skyscrapers.

Students are upset about Premier Jean Charest's plan to add $1,625 to the annual cost of post-secondary education by 2016.

[Rocky Road]

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/22/massive-student-strike-begins-with-port-blockade

MONTREAL - Tens of thousands of students gathered at the site of the 1995 pre-referendum rally Thursday, beating drums and chanting slogans in the largest protest to date against tuition hikes.

They held banners that read "education, a collective right" and "Charest cuts access" during the demonstration at Place du Canada, a large park nestled amid downtown skyscrapers.

Students are upset about Premier Jean Charest's plan to add $1,625 to the annual cost of post-secondary education by 2016.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Rocky Road

[WLDB]

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/22/massive-student-strike-begins-with-port-blockade

MONTREAL - Tens of thousands of students gathered at the site of the 1995 pre-referendum rally Thursday, beating drums and chanting slogans in the largest protest to date against tuition hikes.

They held banners that read "education, a collective right" and "Charest cuts access" during the demonstration at Place du Canada, a large park nestled amid downtown skyscrapers.

Students are upset about Premier Jean Charest's plan to add $1,625 to the annual cost of post-secondary education by 2016.

This really annoys me as an Ontario student. Tuition here is double what theirs is for many programs yet they are the ones protesting.

[cybercoma]

This really annoys me as an Ontario student. Tuition here is double what theirs is for many programs yet they are the ones protesting.

It bothers me too that more students in Ontario don't protest.

[WLDB]

It bothers me too that more students in Ontario don't protest.

Well I was thinking more along the lines of the Quebec students should shut up because they have it pretty good compared to what it could be like for them.

But I guess protesting here would be fun. If students actually voted it'd probably make more of a difference though.

[TwoDucks]

In my day, kids only had ONE duck...

And damned if they didn't trade it up for a house, two cars and a comfortable living situation.

[Topaz]

I think what the college and university kids should do is boycott school for one year. This will draw more attention because its the reverse what happens to the public schools. No students, no teachers getting a pay checks. This would be a more peaceful way, than is what they are doing in Montreal. Plus the schools would miss out on all that money coming in, but I don't know if they could get it together to do it across the country.

[TwoDucks]

Well I was thinking more along the lines of the Quebec students should shut up because they have it pretty good compared to what it could be like for them.

But I guess protesting here would be fun. If students actually voted it'd probably make more of a difference though.

It'd be interesting to know if young people in Quebec have a higher voter turnout as compared to TRoC.

[cybercoma]

I think what the college and university kids should do is boycott school for one year. This will draw more attention because its the reverse what happens to the public schools. No students, no teachers getting a pay checks. This would be a more peaceful way, than is what they are doing in Montreal. Plus the schools would miss out on all that money coming in, but I don't know if they could get it together to do it across the country.

They can't. You take a year off and your student loans are immediately repayable.

[WLDB]

They can't. You take a year off and your student loans are immediately repayable.

Indeed. Some friends of mine tried taking a year off to work and save some money to finish off with. In the end they didnt really get ahead because of that.

[GostHacked]

Some blame goes to the parents, and of course our education system, which produced stupid and lazy kids.

No child left behind. Kids get passed to the next grade knowing they don't quite meet the current grade standards. The education system is broke. What do you think is going to eventually happen to these people who think they just get an automatic pass?

The education system gives people the ability to run the machines without critically thinking about why the machines need to be run. For if they did know, they would not want to run the machine anymore.

[WLDB]

No child left behind. Kids get passed to the next grade knowing they don't quite meet the current grade standards. The education system is broke. What do you think is going to eventually happen to these people who think they just get an automatic pass?

When did this start? I failed grade 8 and did it again as a result and that was only about ten years ago. I know people who have failed elementary grades and high school courses and wound up redoing them not that long ago. University and college definitely dont give a free pass on anything.

[punked]

No child left behind. Kids get passed to the next grade knowing they don't quite meet the current grade standards. The education system is broke. What do you think is going to eventually happen to these people who think they just get an automatic pass?

The education system gives people the ability to run the machines without critically thinking about why the machines need to be run. For if they did know, they would not want to run the machine anymore.

Just want to point out, kids are smarter today and know more then any generation. That has always been true and that is a good thing.

[Battletoads]

I give out a big thanks for the boomers, destroying the west for over 50 years.

[CPCFTW]

Any studies breaking down youth unemployment by university degree? It's tough for graduates out there, but I would wager that a lot of the unemployed graduates are in arts. That's the problem when your education system overemphasizes the arts and soft skills.

We encourage children to easily borrow tens of thousands of dollars for a degree when they have no idea what type of career they want to have (or the odds of obtaining it) when they graduate.

Edited March 23, 2012 by CPCFTW

[WLDB]

Any studies breaking down youth unemployment by university degree? It's tough for graduates out there, but I would wager that a lot of the unemployed graduates are in arts. That's the problem when your education system overemphasizes the arts and soft skills.

I'd probably agree with that anecdotally. At my part time minimum wage job there are some people with Masters Degrees. One of my friends got a BA in english and wound up working in a gold mine. Another got a History degree and is now in college for nursing.

We encourage children to easily borrow tens of thousands of dollars for a degree when they have no idea what type of career they want to have (or the odds of obtaining it) when they graduate.

Which is the main reason I chose not to go to school right after high school. I worked for a few years to save some money up and figure things out. More people should probably take a similar break at some point. A lot of kids are starting college/university at 17 now which is a bit early.

[Bryan]

Any studies breaking down youth unemployment by university degree? It's tough for graduates out there, but I would wager that a lot of the unemployed graduates are in arts. That's the problem when your education system overemphasizes the arts and soft skills.

We encourage children to easily borrow tens of thousands of dollars for a degree when they have no idea what type of career they want to have (or the odds of obtaining it) when they graduate.

My university education was completely unrelated to my career. That's normal. I worked in an art studio with someone with an MSc. Once they were done with school, they just realized that wasn't what they wanted to do for a job.

I think we do emphasize university too much. Its biggest result is big debt in a lot of people that are still going to end up doing jobs that don't require the education anyway. Somebody still needs to dig ditches.

[Moonlight Graham]

It's tough for graduates out there, but I would wager that a lot of the unemployed graduates are in arts. That's the problem when your education system overemphasizes the arts and soft skills.

We encourage children to easily borrow tens of thousands of dollars for a degree when they have no idea what type of career they want to have (or the odds of obtaining it) when they graduate.

I agree. Universities and colleges should be job factories, IMO. They are just too expensive, even when highly publicly subsidized, to waste the time/money on learning unemployable knowledge. Knowledge of the arts/humanities etc. is extremely important, but you can get it free with nothing more than library card. There is something to be said for being able to critically analyze and to write well, but when everyone can do it it's not very employable.

Graduating with a degree in Sociology, or English, or History etc. with no plan on how to use that degree in employment is such a travesty, and it's often not really the kids' fault as they don't really know how the world works right out of high school, and by the time they're in 3rd/4th year and figure out they are a bit screwed it's too late.

The gluttony of Arts degrees is one of the reasons I'd theorize that so many grads go into teacher's college, or the gov't, since those are the major areas they can qualify for given their Arts education.