B.C. students will gather March 16 in what is expected to be the biggest student rally in the province’s history.

Only two days after a leadership change in the provincial government, as many as 1,000 students, and possibly more, will arrive at the provincial legislature to protest rising debt and declining funding, according to the Martlet.

“Four years ago, tuition doubled when the government allowed universities to raise [it],” said Kyle Acierno, the external relations officer with the Simon Fraser Student Society. “ [causing] students to protest.

However, my staff has notified me that this will likely be a much larger protest, as we have been able to organize with a lot of other schools,” Acierno said.

“With strikes at Vancouver Island University and . . . cuts at Camosun College, we are expected to see more students than ever from [Vancouver] Island,” Acierno added.

Capilano University, Langara College, Douglas College, Vancouver Community College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University will also be represented, according to stories from the Martlett.

The students call on the provincial government to lower or eliminate interest rates on student loans, again offer upfront student grants and repeal the public post-secondary education budget cuts of the past decade according to the Martlett.

“Interest rates in B.C. are 5.5 per cent,” Acierno said.  

The province has not had an up front student grants program for more than six years.  In Victoria, for example, Camosun College has cut 10 percent of its budget over three years.

“The funding shortfalls have shown Camosun students that the B.C. government has [changed] their education.

“Not only is there going to be reduced intake in programs, but we are losing support staff and faculty,” said Matteus Clement, external executive of the Camosun College Student Society.

For premier Christy Clark, who was elected leader of the B.C. Liberals last month, the rally falls on her third day in office.

“Clark has promised to put families first . . . the people who are supporting us, and the people who we want to support in the future,” Acierno said in the Martlet.

B.C.’s Minister for Education, George Abbott could not be reached for comment.