Post-secondary students across Ontario walk out of classes and rally against cuts to education
For immediate release
November 05, 2026 12:10 ET
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Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario
TORONTO, ON, Nov. 05, 2026 -- As the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario officially concludes its lobby week, students across the province are preparing to walk out on their campuses as part of the Hands Off Our Education campaign and the fight to defend Ontario’s public post-secondary education. Over the last several days, students have been at Queen’s Park meeting with MPPs across parties to present recommendations to adequately address the clear gaps in the post-secondary education sector, and put students first.
Today, students across the province are mobilizing on their campuses in the continued fight to defend Ontario’s public post-secondary education system. On over 15 campuses province-wide, students have coordinated walkouts, rallies and demonstrations in response to the Ministry’s decision to reverse students’ OSAP funding allocations, the 2% increase to domestic students’ tuition fees, and the interference on Ontario’s colleges and universities academic autonomy.
“Students are prepared to use every tactic at their disposal to oppose Doug Ford’s attacks on education,” said Cyrielle Ngeleka, CFS-Ontario Chairperson. “As this government continues to evade accountability, public colleges and universities remain underfunded while students are being plunged further into debt due to the gutting of OSAP. Students should not be scapegoated for the intentional unsustainability of the sector, and we refuse to be priced out of education.”
“The system was never unsustainable. This government’s lack of oversight was. And students are paying for the government’s mistakes” said Nicholas Silver, Vice-President External of the University of Toronto Graduate Students Union. “Public or private, students are not to blame. The Ford government's mismanagement of OSAP and its chronic underfunding of post-secondary education are.”
This province-wide action is coordinated by the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario, local students’ unions and campus-based student groups. This day is an escalation of the CFS-Ontario’s Hands Off Our Education campaign. Students continue to demand:
- Grants not loans; remove all interest on OSAP loans;
- An end to the tuition hikes;
- Cessation of government interference on admissions, research security plans and student fees.
Walkouts are occurring throughout the day on the following campuses:
- Sault Ste. Marie Campus, Algoma University
- Brock University
- Carleton University
- George Brown College
- Humber Polytechnic
- McMaster University
- Nipissing University
- OCAD University
- Toronto Metropolitan University
- Trent University
- University of Guelph
- University of Ottawa
- University of Toronto
- University of Toronto-Mississauga
- University of Toronto-Scarborough
- University of Waterloo
- University of Windsor
- Glendon College, York University
- Keele Campus, York University
The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario is the oldest and largest student organization in Ontario, representing over 350,000 college and university students in every region of the province.
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For further information on the campaign or to set up an interview, contact:
Adaeze Mbalaja, Campaigns and Communications Coordinator, at 647-608-4074 or [email protected]
Cyrielle Ngeleka, CFS-Ontario Chairperson, at [email protected]