Tuesday, April 2, 2002

British Columbia's Budget Crunch Appears to Threaten Open Learning Agency By KAREN BIRCHARD The future of one of Canada's major lifelong-learning institutions, the Open Learning Agency in British Columbia, appears uncertain amid speculation that the provincial government intends to cut its financial support or privatize the agency. The government of British Columbia set up the organization in 1978 to give residents in rural parts of the province greater access to public postsecondary education. Today the agency runs a number of province-wide programs, including BC Open University, Open College, the Canadian Learning Bank, and an educational-television service. Speculation about the organization's future comes after a provincial-government review recommended more streamlining and "a more collaborative approach to online and distance education" in postsecondary education, but gave no details. Last week, reports in the news media said the province was planning to phase out the agency over the next two years, replacing it with a privately run endeavor. But the government has made no official announcement so far. "It's hard to talk about changes when we don't know what's happening," said Don Black, executive director of marketing and communications at the agency. "All we hear are rumors and gossip, which is hard on staff and students," he said in an interview. "We have no idea whether we'll be privatized." Distance-education departments at universities and colleges in the province say they're in the dark too. "Maybe all the universities will collaborate in distance programs, but we haven't been asked yet by the government for our views," said Tony Bates, director of distance education at the University of British Columbia. The agency "has probably been the best kept secret in Canada," he said in an interview, pointing out that it helps many students, including former dropouts, immigrants, adults seeking career qualifications, and traditional students who want to fast-track their university degrees by taking extra courses. Ironically, the agency is now enjoying its highest enrollment ever, with about 22,000 students taking courses. It operates facilities in 14 locations and has an annual budget equal to about $38-million in U.S. dollars, with a third of the money coming directly from the provincial government's budget. The provincial government -- which has a multibillion-dollar deficit and is looking closely at every spending program -- set up a review of the agency last year. As a result of that review, the government replaced the agency's board of directors early this year, saying that announcements concerning the agency's future would be made in a couple of months but that there would be no change in the day-to-day operation. The interim board is exploring various options, according to a statement on the agency's Web site. "Maybe we'll hear something by the middle of April, but my predictions have been wrong before," said Mr. Black, the marketing director. "My main concern is that the people we currently serve will still have services available." Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

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