IB Fees Cancelled
- noibfees
- Aug 7, 2020
- 2 min read
On Thursday, August 6, 2020, the TDSB Board of Trustees (the "Board") approved their final budget for the 2020-21 academic year. This budget DOES NOT include fees for the International Baccalaureate ("IB") program. The Board suspended the fees after determining that they would not save as much money as originally predicted, both as a result of decreased enrollment in the program and greater than anticipated need for financial aid. This decision was also influenced by the tireless work of students, teachers, families, and community members who have been campaigning against the fees for the past year.
The official 2020-21 TDSB budget states that:
“In June 2019, the Board passed a balanced budget, with total reductions of $67.8M over two years (2019-20 and 2020-21). The first year had reductions totalling $46.8M, with $21.0M in additional reductions planned for 2020-21. These saving targets have been updated and are anticipated to provide only $5.2M in savings following Board direction to suspend IB fees to students.”
Students who have already enrolled in the IB program will be informed of this change and will receive a refund of their fees if they have already been paid. The TDSB will also be creating a communication plan directed at students who dropped out of the IB program because of the financial barrier, with the intention of encouraging them to reconsider their choice. This information was provided by Trustee Shelly Laskin, and is included in the motion to cancel the fees that was proposed by Trustees Zatir Patel and Robin Pilkey.
This is a huge win for everyone impacted by the fees, for the schools and communities in which the IB program operates, and for everyone who cares about equitable access to public education in Toronto. It comes as a huge relief to the families whose incomes have been impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic. In listening to our calls for equity of access to the IB program for all students, the TDSB has eliminated a significant barrier to the opportunities that an IB education provides.
Although this is a cause for celebration, the fight isn’t over yet. We must ensure that this topic does not get reopened, and that IB remains free and accessible for years to come. Keep an eye out on our website and social media for information about further actions.
For more information, see the 2020-21 TDSB Budget and Updates on Year 2 Saving Targets.
Special thanks to those who submitted a written or oral deputation throughout the past year. Some agreed to share their deputations to create a record of this successful campaign. You can read these on our archive page.
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