Press Release
Ontario Ombudsman calls on government to better protect students: Ministry incompetence led to private career college “disaster”
TORONTO (July 14, 2009) – Ontario Ombudsman André Marin today urged the province’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to get tougher on unscrupulous private career colleges.
His latest special report, Too Cool For School, outlines the “unmitigated disaster” of Bestech Academy, an unregistered, illegal operation which the Ministry tolerated for more than two years – while actually paying for several students to attend classes there, and subsequently even hiring its president to work in the Ministry.
Bestech “was allowed to line its pockets with public funds while flouting the law,” Mr. Marin notes, adding that the Ministry’s “inattention, indifference and dereliction,” helped enable the college to prey on innocent students. Bestech operated campuses in Stoney Creek and St. Catharines, offering courses in gas technician technology before closing abruptly in October 2008, leaving students and staff out of pocket.
The case, investigated by the Special Ombudsman Response Team (SORT), revealed a systemic failure by the Ministry to ensure students are protected, Mr. Marin says, noting the issue is urgent because the present economic climate has increased demand for the type of training offered by private career colleges.
The Ministry has accepted all of the Ombudsman’s recommendations for improvements except one – his call for a compensation scheme for the students. “Unfortunately, the Ministry has shown itself to be a slave to its own system, and unwilling to think and act out of the box in order to do the right thing by these students,” Mr. Marin says.
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Full report and backgrounder available at www.ombudsman.on.ca
Video of Mr. Marin’s conference will be on the website and YouTube later today.
For further information or to arrange media interviews with Mr. Marin, please contact:
Linda Williamson
Director of Communications
Tel: 416-586-3426
lwilliamson@ombudsman.on.ca
Elena Yunusov
Communications Officer
Tel: 416-586-3521
eyunusov@ombudsman.on.ca
Sara McMillen
Communications Officer
Tel: 416-646-8008
smcmillen@ombudsman.on.ca
3 Comment(s)
July 15, 2009
I have been complaining about the unscrupulous practices for years. Unfortunately I was taking my complaints to OSAP for doling out tax payers money to schools that had no business enrolling students that were underqualified to enroll. A money grab was all it was. One of my patients (during an unstable manic episode) enrolled in CDI college for police studies. He was learning disabled and needed 1:1 help throughout his public school education. Nonetheless they signed him up and stuck him with a huge loan. It wouldnt have taken a rocket scientist to figure out he had no chance of completing the course. Thank God someone is investigating this practice.
July 17, 2009
I felt inspired by Mr. Andre Marin's criticism on the ineptitude of the Education Ministry of Ontario Gvme. And I will be looking forward to the release of the 2009 Report.
I will report to you a case of a "rogue course" in a certain college, which had been lodged with the Superior Court of Ontario in 2007.
Two years have passed by and I have heard nothing from the Court. I hope the Court will take care of the case as soon as possible, with your help.
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July 14, 2009
I attended the "Too Cool for School" press conference and was quite happy with the findings. However, it failed to mention my name even once even though I was the biggest loser in June Ballegeer's total disrespect of the law. I lost over $103 thousand dollars to her and I am wondering if I have any recourse with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. I will be obtaining a lawyer and pursuing legal action against them. Garron Matthews.