EMPLOYMENT

A look across Canada reveals that B.C. women's participation rate in full-time employment at the college level is the second lowest in Canada, and 5.5 percentage points lower than the national average. The fact that, women account for less than a third of the full-time employees, versus 44% of other positions, means they are under-represented in the better protected employee groups. Given reverse seniority rules for lay-offs, women are more vulnerable even within the safer group, when they have less seniority.

STUDENT/AID

As of March 31, 1984, the provincial student aid grant was abolished and replaced by a provincial loan. According to the Canadian Federation of Students, the elimination of the grant made B.C.'s the worst student assistance program in Canada.

The criteria for eligibility were also changed to:

1. tighten the dependency clauses so as to render more students ineligible,
   
2. increase the amount a student must save during the summer so
   as to decrease the amount a student is entitled to,
   
3. raise the requirements from 60 to 80% of a full load, to qualify as a full-time student.
   

Approximately 60% of student assistance distributed in three colleges previously went to female applicants. Presumably, then, restrictive criteria and reduced funding will more seriously hurt women. Specifically, requiring students to save more and to take more courses will undermine mature women's and single mothers' chances of meeting the requirements. The woman who perseveres and manages to graduate from a regular two-year program will be saddled with a debt of up to $15,000 before she takes a full-time job to pay it back. Women must weigh the consequences of a heavy debt load against the possibilities of adequate salaries in the future, and take into consideration a longer period of repayment than male students because of the probability of lower wages for women. The "privatization" of programs catering almost exclusively to women, such as Business Office Training, Skin care and Hairdressing, formerly at two or more institutes, means increased fees for students who can ill afford them.

ENROLMENT

Contrary to the common misconception based largely on cross Canada university figures, the increase in the numbers of women in non-vocational programs has been lower than comparable figures for men. B.C. university enrolment figures show female enrolment in both full-time and part-time studies increased significantly from 1979 to 1982. This is not the case for both full-time and part-time College Institute students, as the graphs indicate.

In 1983, the total number of University Transfer women slipped by 1%, while overall enrolment in University Transfer rose 12%. Complacency about advances of women in colleges and institutes is not warranted.

CONCLUSION

This article is intended to alert interested persons to disturbing patterns of employment and especially enrolment which may emerge without the overall national or provincial statistics revealing the patterns.

These patterns may occur even in the absence of a proclaimed "restraint" policy. Some of the aspects of "restraint" which we have identified are likely to have serious, if not always visible implications for women. Many changes in curriculum and distribution of courses have particular impact on women, especially those disadvantaged by geography and in need of specialized programming.

Indications are that the "restraint" practiced in the British Columbia post-secondary education system, may cement the decelerating access of women students. This appears particularly true in the colleges and institutes.

We must also add, in the interest of further research, that data must be disaggregated and recorded by sex and age, within post-secondary institutions and by the Ministry of Education itself.