20 planet of the arts / december 1997 CULTURAL DIALECTICS The Activists ...continued from page 19 be effective for the future but the emotional approach prompts the initial strong reaction that I think is needed. People sit around and bitch but unless they’re really fired up all at once, it wort do any good. The big papers weigh their options. They’re big businesses themselves; they’re only going to go so far in making a stink. Someone was able to sabotage a number of newspaper boxes selling The Province, replacing the first few pages of Province issues with their own fake, very. satirical anti-APEC publication which was printed to look exactly like The Province. This tactic showed up how many diverse and dissenting voices the larger papers avoid including. We didn’t hear much discussion in the media about the issues surrounding APEC until the last couple of days before the conference - a little late. So it was surprising when Langara had an anti-APEC radio spot and you were hearing these strong statements coming from a mainstream media source. The only other place I saw some- thing as strong was in a communist newsletter someone handed me at a demo. ©! The Effects of Globalization ..continued from page 19 the commodification of their culture. These effects are becoming more obvi- ous in the wake of globalization’s unrelenting progress. Education as a Tool for Globalization As “internationally-shared human resources’, students are not immune to APEC’s anti-people agenda. In the face of inaccessible education and ram- pant un(der)employment, there is a growing movement among the student population, especially in the Third World, that recognizes the need to take a militant stance against imperialist globalization. _ There is an urgent need to examine our education system in the face of globalization. The effects of privatization, commercialization, and commod- ification of education are jeopardizing our future. As youth and students, we are seen as key components in the APEC process. Students all over the world are seeing their education systems restructured to serve the needs of big busi- ness, while curriculums that encourage critical thinking are abandoned. APEC seeks to perpetuate this trend of education restructuring by pro- moting “Life-long Learning”. This APEC objective makes students believe that they will need to continually adapt to the needs of a rapidly changing labour market and therefore accept part-time and contractual work. As a result, education becomes tailored to suit the needs of big business instead of the needs of all sectors of society. Over half of the post-secondary student population in the Philippines are trained in programs specified by multi- national corporations. For instance, Nestlé has recently bought the Food and Technology and Hotel and Restaurant Management programs at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Nestlé then stipulates the curricu- lum and gets free labour from the students who do research for the compa- ny. This kind of infiltration of corporate interests into the education system will create a future work force that will foster the profit motives of big busi- ness. Restructuring Education In this global-free market economy, governments are told to keep out of corporate affairs and are encouraged to shift social service needs to the pri- vate sectors. For example, the Canadian government reduced its support of education by decreasing total post-secondary education, health, and social assistance funding to provinces from $19.3 billion in 1994/95 to $12.5 billion in 1997/98.2 The federal government compromised the ability of schools to continue offering students a decent education. As a result, schools look to increased tuition fees, budget cuts, and corporate sponsorship to cover oper- ating expenses. Here at Emily Carr Institute, we feel the effects of imperialist globaliza- tion through education cutbacks. The past year, the Institute hours of access for students have been cut. The school now closes at 12am instead of 3am. It was decided that the school could not afford to pay for the security patrol for the additional 3 hours. This year, the Photography Department closed its facilities on Sundays because it could no longer pay for student monitors. This decision limits the access of many students who work on a part-time basis to fund their education. Students are constantly being told that equip- ment, which in the past was readily available, is now off limits because the school has no money in the budget to replace or repair the equipment. In the printmaking department, students are informed that inks for intaglio are not provided because of insufficient funding, (while inks for lithography are still supplied). Because of governmental cuts to Emily Carr’s budget, the school is forced to now look towards corporate sponsorship as an alternative means of support. Another glaring example of corporate presence on campus is Tech B.C. in the Fraser Valley. This university's academic design, with the partnership of industry, is to provide job-ready graduates in technology-related fields. Rather than academic reason, the curriculum decisions are made on the basis of economics. While the technical training programs are made more readily available, there seem to be continual cuts to liberal arts programs everywhere. Students are constantly being reminded that if they are concerned at all with their future, they will have to arm themselves with the right technical skills and forget about arts programs like sociology, political science, philosophy, and fine arts. This restructuring of education allows imperialist powers to consolidate their control over the future working population. There is a strong emphasis on post-secondary education and technical skill in order to succeed in this global free market economy. However, chronic youth un(der)employment forces young people into McJobs - flexible, low-paying, service-sector, non- unionized, part-time jobs. What the political and corporate elite have at their disposal is a highly skilled cheap labour force. These powers are able to weave students into their plans for a global econ- omy by instilling in us the notion of a gloomy future, unless of course we accept APEC and imperialist globalization. They use culture to promote globalization and to get people to concede to its imperialist agenda. Subsequently, the changes in our education system will be accepted as just a natural consequence of globalization. continued on page 22, see “Commodification” 20 planet of the arts 7 december 1997 CULTURAL DIALECTICS The Activists be effective for the future but the emotional approach prompts the intial tong reaction that 1 thinks needed, People sit around and bitch but unless they're really fred up all atone, it wont do any good. The big papers weigh their options. Thy'e big busineses themselves: they’ only going ogo so fn making a stink age a number of newspaper bores sling The Province, replacing the first few pages of Province issues withthe ‘ows fake, very satirical ani-APEC. publication Which sas primed to look exactly like The Province, This tactic showed up how many dlverse and dissenting voices the larger papers vod inching We dda hear much discussion inthe media shout the issues surounding APEC until the last couple of days befor the conference - aie late So it was surprising when Langara had an ant-APEC radio spot and you were hearing these Seong statements coming from 4 mainsteeam media source, The only other place I sw some: thing as strong was in a communist newsletter someone handed me ata demo. question me-ism The Effects of Globalization the commotion of thee culture. These effects are becoming more obvi ‘usin the wake of globlizations untlenting progress. Education as a Too! for Globalization ‘As internationally shared human resource students are not immune to APEC’ anti-people agenda. In the fac of inaccessible education and ram pant un(der)employment, there i growing movement among the student Population, especially inthe Third Word, that recognizes the need to take a militant stance aginst imperialist globalization, Thee isan wrgent need to examine our education system in _lobalzation The effects of privatization, commerialization, and commod: ication of education are jeopardizing our Future As youth and students we 6 face of naa age of nememberance “a i vl are seen as key components inthe APEC proces Student allover the world areseeing their education ystems resteuctured to serve the needs of big bus nes, while curtiulums that encourage rtcal thinking are abandoned APEC seeks to perpetuate this trend of education restructuring by pro- rmoting “Lifelong Learning’ This APEC objective makes students belive that they will nod to continually adapt tothe needs ofa rapidly changing Iabour market and therefore acept part-time and contractual work. AS a result education becomes tailored to suit the neds of bg busines instead of the needs of all sectors of society. Over half ofthe postsecondary student population in the Philippines are trained in programs specified by mult atonal corporations For instance, Nestlé as recently bought the Food and. Technology and Hotel and Restaurant Management programs at the Polytechnic Univesity ofthe Philippines. Nestlé then stipulates the currcu Jum and gets fee labour from the students who do research for the comp: ‘ay. Tis kind of inflation of corporate interests into the education system, wil eeate a future work force that will foster the profit motives of big bus: Restructuring Education In this global ree market economy, governments ae tod 10 kep out of