MONTREAL – McGill University’s exam period got off to a rocky start on Tuesday when picketing students blocked access to at least three entrances onto campus as part of a protest against tuition hikes.
The picketing students also marched on to campus to block access to the James administration building for about 15 minutes.
No one was prevented from getting to their exams, however, McGill media relations director Doug Sweet said.
In the wake of student unrest this year, McGill has a new policy in place not to reveal exam locations until the day before the exam is being held.
“We’re keeping the locations more under wraps to forestall any disruptions,” said Sweet.
When Concordia University’s exam period started last week, students also tried to block access, which resulted in exams being pushed back by about half an hour.
Students have been striking for 10 weeks to oppose the Quebec government’s tuition increases of $325 a year for five years. On Sunday, Education Minister Line Beauchamp made an attempt to start a discussion with students by offering to meet with two student associations about university governance. While seen as an olive branch, the plan has also threatened to cause a rift in the student movement, as one major student association has been excluded because it’s deemed too radical.
Beauchamp has remained firm about excluding CLASSE (the Coalition large de l’association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante), but at least one of the other groups – the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec – has vowed not to participate in talks unless CLASSE is included.
“Our mandate from our students is not to go if CLASSE isn’t there,” FEUQ president Martine Desjardins said. “But this is an opening and we need to find a way to have CLASSE at the table.”
The Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec, however, said its students believe the talks are important enough to participate no matter what, although the association is strongly urging Beauchamp to include CLASSE.