4 PLANET OF THE ARTS / FEBRUARY - MARCH 1996 ART EDUCATION IN A CULTURE OF GLOBAL COMPETITION BY DAWN Bule Emily Carr students represented a small proportion of the 6,000 marchers protesting federal cuts to education February seventh. Being an art school, Emily Carr has a difficult time justifying its existence to politi- cal groups who believe education's primary purpose is to prepare individuals for the work force. "World econom- ics does not sup- ort art schools. In a capitalistic view art making fdoes not gener- Fate a vast * amount of rev- enue, therefore it Zz is not seen highly,” fm says Ling Chiu, a fourth “year film and video stu- ‘dent at Emily Carr Much provincial govern- ment rhetoric on the topic of educa- tion these days centres around the need to train and educate employ- able workers through skills upgrad- ing. In this rhetoric of rationalization, existing funds are to be increasingly directed to programs in universities and community colleges which sup- ply graduates for sectors of the econ- omy which are currently profitable. It is difficult to define the federal government's rhetoric since they have tended to continue the Mulroney policy of reducing funding to the provinces without offering alternate solutions in regard to train- ing and education. Supporters of art schools find themselves in an increasingly difficult situation then, as they try to justify their existence to a climate dominated by the rhetoric of reducing the deficit by cutting back on “unnecessary” social and educational programs. The main justification for increasing tuition fees goes some- thing like this: the higher one's level of education, the easier it is to find a well-paying job. In other words, your investment in post-secondary educa- tion will be roughly proportional to your financial reward from it. As many of us know, this is not usually the case for a student in a fine arts or humanities program. Many students nevertheless decide to embark on an education in the arts or the humanities in spite of prior knowledge that a dismal fiscal future awaits them. One Emily Carr student who wishes to remain unnamed says art students aren't thinking of the future when they run up huge debt loads. "I think people are pretty impractical." He says he doesn't have a ceiling that tuition would have to reach before he would drop out. "We set limits when we're shopping, but not with school. “How do | relate to a $20,000 to $40,000 debt load?," he continues. | worry about it, but it's always been hypothetical. Every year it's this big crisis and every year | come back. If the whole loans struc- ture was changing and you had to put up your own money, | might rethink going back to school." Ling Chiu says she's "terri- fied" to think about how much she owes in student loans, but that she tried following a course of study that would guarantee her a job and it did- n't work. "| was caught up in all the ideas that I should have a very stable job." Chiu previously attended Ryerson Polytechnic University. “I thought | could express myself within the broadcasting world and still have a job." She says she discovered it did- n't work that way, "You learn the sys- tem that they want you to learn: to go out and generate money. That's the whole problem, that the empha- sis is on money rather than the human condition or the human self." However, it was at Ryerson, Chiu says, that she was able to pro- duce a video that helped her decide her future direction." (The video) really spoke about who | was and what my thoughts of the world were. | enjoyed that incredibly. | realized | had to find a place that would allow me to produce my own work. | decid- ed that Emily Carr, an art school, would do that for me. And it does." “World economics does not support art schools. In a capitalistic view, art making does not generate a vast amount of revenue, therefore it is not seen highly," says Chiu. Michael Gardiner, B.C. regional president of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) says he is frustrated by the attitude he sees put forward by some groups that the study of the fine arts is inessential to our society. "The elimination of that area of study for the majority of the people means that you have a society that is devoid of culture. A society that is devoid of culture is nothing more than a factory.” Gardiner says Canadians do support educational subsidies and social programs. "(Canadians) have been lied to by institutions like the Fraser Institute and Michael Walker on BCTV who have said that we are in a deficit crisis and the only way to get out of it is to cut social pro- grams; that the future of our social programs rests on eliminating that” debt right now; a little pain now for benefit in the future. continued on page 25 Ls) ILLUSTRATION BY CELEST BROWN RAW PULP FICTION ON THE DEBT Micheal Gardiner Speaks INTERVIEWED BY DAWN BUIE [Editor's note: The following com- ments present an alternative analysis of the political context of social spending cut-backs. Hopefully readers will see beyond the speaker's occa- sional lapses into rhetoric and find valuable his thought-provoking intention.] Micheal Gardiner claims the federal government is pulling the wool over our eyes when it claims that social programs are the source of the debt. Gardiner contends that Statistics Canada’s own data indicate that 44% of the federal debt is due to corporate tax breaks, while a fur- ther 50% is due to the high interest policy of the Bank of Canada. A mere 6% of the debt is due to the expansion of funding for social programs. Statistics Canada came to these conclusions by using an eco- nomic model in which the debt was recalculated on the basis of interest rates and corporate taxes remaining stable over that last twenty years. During this period interest rates increased dramatically while corpo- rate taxes dropped. "With interest rates," Gardiner explains, "what matters isn't what the level of interest is; it's what the difference between the interest rate and level of inflation is. Most modern industrialized countries have their interest rates set at 2% above inflation, whereas Canada’s reached 7% in the 1980s. "They had this Governor of the Bank of Canada called John Crowe, and they had a Prime Minister named Brian Mulroney who had this vision that the way to maximize cor- porate profits was to stagnate the economy; to bring inflation down to zero. The way to bring inflation down near zero (for them) was to set inter- est rates at a very high level.” "When you slow down the economy, workers’ wages rise at-a level that is much slower than infla- tion. When inflation is higher and the economy is expanding, wages tend to rise faster than inflation. "So by stagnating the economy, unemployment rises. Canada is now at a structural unem- ployment level of over 9% and that keeps wages down. In periods of recession, and periods of little growth as we're seeing in Canada this year, there was record corporate profits but there was no growth in employ- ment. "How can it be that if cor- porations are doing astoundingly well, that employment isn't expand- ing? It's because wages are down. “Three months ago the fed- eral government stated at its finance committee hearings that they were not going to abandon their interest rate policy and yet now we see the interest rates coming down dramati- cally. "The real interest rate, the difference between inflation and interest is 4%. That's a good 2% lower than it was recently and one would assume that the government has recognized that when the econo- my is stagnated it's more difficult for them to make their deficit reduction targets. “Essentially their deficit reduction policy of cutting funding on social programs was assisting in the slow down of the economy, and the slow down of the economy was preventing them from reaching their continued on page 25 4 raver oF me Aes | reat’ - wwe6s 1996 ART EDUCATION IN A CULTURE OF GLOBAL COMPETITION oy Dev Bue Emily Car students represented 3 small proportion of the 6,000 marchers protesting federal cuts to ‘education February seventh. Being an art schoo, Emily Carr Rasa difficult time justitying its existence to palt- cal groups who believe education's primary purpose isto prepare individual fr the work FS nccono: Jes doesnot sup- port art schools. In a capitalistic year film and video stu- Pent at Emily Care Much provincial govern- ‘ment rhetoric onthe topic of educa tion these days centres around the need to train and educate employ- able workers through skills upgrad- ing. In this rhetoric of rationalization, ‘existing funds are tobe increasingly rected to programs in universities and community colleges which sup- ply graduates for sectors ofthe econ- ‘omy which ae curently profitable, Itis difficult to define the federal governments rhetoric since they have tended to continue the Mulroney policy of reducing funding to the provinces without offering alternate solutions in regard to train ing and education. Supporters of at School find themselves in an increasingly difficult situation then, as they try to justify their existence toa climate dominated by the thetoric of reducing the deft by ‘cutting back on “unnecessary” social and educational programs. The main justification for increasing tuition fees goes some= thing like this: the higher one’ eve ‘of education, te ease it isto find a ‘well-paying job. In other words, your Investment in post-secondary educa- ton wil be roughly proportion your financial reward from it. ‘As many of us know, this is ‘not usually the case fora student in 8 fine ats or humanities program, ‘Many students nevertheless decide to ‘embark on an education in the ats lor the humanities in sit of prior knowledge that a dismal fiscal future awaits them. ‘One Emily Car student wo wishes to remain unnamed says art students arent thinking ofthe future when they run up huge debt loads. I think people are prety impractical” He sys he doesn't have 2 ceiling that tuition would have to reach before he would drop out. "We set limits when we're shopping, but not mith school “How do I relate toa $20.00 to $40,000 debt load?” he Continues | worry about it, but it's always been hypothetical Every year it this big crisis and every year | ‘come back. If the whole loans struc- ‘ure was changing and you had to put up your own money, | might rethink ging back to school” Ling Chiu says she's “teri= fied” to think about how much she ‘owes in student loans, but that she tried following a course of study that would guarantee her ajo and it n't work “I was caught up inal the ‘ideas that I should Rave avery stable job Chiu previously attended Ayerson Polytechnic University.“ thought | could express myself within the broadcasting word and still have jot” She says she discovered it did- st work that way, “You learn the sys- tem that they want you to learn: to ‘90 out and generate money. That's ‘the whole problem, thatthe empha- sis is on money rather than the human condition or the human self” However, it was at Ryerson, Chiu says, that she was abe to pro- duce a video that helped her decide her future direction” (The video) realy poke about who | was and what my thoughts ofthe world were. enjoyed that incredibly. realized | had to find a place that would allow ime to produce my own work. | decid- 4 that Emily Cary, an art school, would do that for me. And it does” “Wot economics does not ‘support art school. In a capitalistic view, art making does not generate a vast amount of revenue, therefore it {is not seen highly” says Chiu. Michael Gardiner, B.C ‘eional president ofthe Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) says he {frustrated by the attitude he sees put forward by some groups that the study of the fine arts is inessential to ‘ur society. “The elimination ofthat ‘of study for the majority of the ‘People means that you Rave a society thats devoid of culture. A society thats devoid of culture is nothing more than a facto.” Gardiner says Canadians do support educational subsidies and social programs. (Canadians) have been ied toby institutions ike the Fraser Institute and Michael Walker (on BCTV who have sid that we are ina deficit crisis and the only way to get out fit isto cut social pro- ‘rams; thatthe future of our social programs ress on eliminating that” ‘debt right now; alittle pain now fot benefitin the future cota on ge 25 "LURATIN BY CELEST BRON RAW PULP FICTION ON THE DEBT Micheal Gardiner Speaks Inmexviewe ey Das Bure [kéitor's note: The following cor ‘ments present on alternative anohysis (ofthe politic! context of socio! spending cut-backs. Hopefully readers will see beyond the speaker’ acco ‘sional lapses into rhetoric and find voluable his thought-provaking intention] Micheal Gardine the federal government is pulling wool over our eyes when it claims that socal programs ae the source ofthe debt Gardiner contends that Statistics Canada's own data indicate that 496 ofthe federal debtis due to corporat tax breaks, while a fur- ‘ther SOW is due tothe high interest policy ofthe Bank of Canada. [Amere 6% of the debt is {due tothe expansion of funding for socal programs. Statistics Canada came to these conclusions by using an eco- nomic model in which the debt was recalculated on the bass of interest - rates and corporate taxes remaining stable over that last twenty years. During this period intrest rates increased dramatically while corpo- rate taxes dropped. With interest rates Gardiner explains, what matters isn't wat the level of interests; what the difference between the interest rate and level of inflation is Most moder industrialized countries have their interest rates set at 2% above inflaton, whereas Canada’s reached 7% nthe 1980s. “They had this Governor of the Bank of Canada called John Crowe, and they had a Prime Minister named Bran Mulroney who had this the vision thatthe way to maximize cor- porate profits was to stagnate the ‘economy; to bring inflation down to 2er0, The way to bring inflation down, ‘near zero (fr them) was tose inter- ‘strates ata very high level” ‘When you slow down the ‘economy, workers! wages ise ata level that is much slower than infla- tion. When inflation is higher and the economy is expanding, wages tend to rise faster than inflation. *So by stagnating the «economy, unemployment rises Canada is now ata structural unem- ployment level of over 9% and that keeps wages down. In periods of recession, and periods of tle growth as we're seeing in Canada ths year, there was record corporate profits but there was no growth in employ- ment. “How can it be that if cor- porations are doing astoundingly wel that employment isnt expand ing? it’s because wages are down. “Three months ago the fed- cal government stated at its finance ‘committee hearings that they were not going to abandon their interest rate policy and yet now we see the Interest rates coming down dramati~ cally. “The real intrest ate, the Aitference between inflation and interest is 4%. Thats a good 24 lower than it was recently and one would assume that the government hha recognized that when the econo- my is stagnated it's more difficult for them to make thir deficit reduction targets. “Essentialy their deficit reduction policy of euttng funding ‘on socal proorams was assisting in ‘the slow down of the economy, and ‘the slow down of the economy was preventing them from reaching their contmuedon ge 28