Counterpoint: Students Are Not Right To Protest

In February the government of Quebec announced an intention to incrementally raise the price of tuition by $1625 over the course of five years, a proposal that was met with massive objections from the province’s students. A province-wide academic strike involving approximately a third of student population ensued, despite its originating midway through the term. Since then their protest has developed and piqued national interest.
In recent weeks, protesters have strongly rejected a compromise proposed by the province’s premier Jean Charest, early last week; yet students are no closer to returning to class than they were in the initial days of their three month protest. While I can empathize completely with a desire to minimize tuition costs while maintaining the availability of education, an en masse student protest will ultimately amplify the problem, as is occurring in Quebec. The strife faced by the students themselves, as well as their province and the nation at large has risen because even after three months, a satisfactory compromise cannot be reached.
The protest, which commenced as a dispute between Quebec students and their government, has evolved to encompass the entirety of society within the province. However, ignoring the external factors which have grown into their strike, the protest itself remains rooted in retaining the accessibility of education, which can be realistically funded by students within the province of Quebec.
While this is a worthy goal, and deserving of national attention, the demonstrations in Quebec have in themselves inhibited the accessibility of learning and education within the province. The most obvious example of lost opportunities are those surrendered by the students themselves; although payment for last term had already been made, the protesting students chose to go on an academic strike,  and may now  be facing the loss of an entire semester.
Receiving less acknowledgement from the media are the students not on strike, composing a two-thirds majority of Quebec`s post-secondary student population. Having continued to attend classes throughout the protest, most have already written their final exams and finished their winter term, as many Quebec schools were able to continue operation with a relative degree of normalcy in spite of the strike. However, this resolution was not possible for all students wishing to attend classes during the strike period, resulting in a different manner of impediment to education. Are these affiliates of Quebec schools less entitled to an available education then those currently on strike?
But conversely, some institutions have been forced to cancel classes entirely in order to avoid conflict with on site picketers. This problem is particularly adamant with respect to smaller CEGEPS, which have been more profoundly affected by both the absence of students and demonstration blockades than neighbouring universities with large campuses. In some cases, schools have remained closed in spite of court mandated injunctions to resume sessions.
The logic applied in the protester`s objections, that raising the cost of tuition will adversely affect the availability of education in Quebec, is also fundamentally flawed. The average Quebec student being educated within the province will pay significantly less tuition than any other Canadian student, including those from other provinces and territories choosing to study at a Quebec university. Furthermore, many institutions within the province are internationally renowned for the quality of their facilities, curriculum, and teaching. Quintessentially, students from the province of Quebec have an ease of access to high quality education at a scale that is unmatched nationwide.
The cost of Quebec undergraduate education is unique in a second feature; the raises proposed by the government would be the first endured by the province since a tuition freeze that occurred in the 90`s.  The invariability in the price of Quebec tuition is a phenomenon, when the roots of educational costs are considered.
Effective undergraduate education requires a multifaceted system employing much more than the sound teaching of great professors. In order to maintain a high level of instructional quality, lecturers need to be actively involved in research and the advancement of their field, so that their knowledge base remains current and can be efficiently conveyed to their students. High level research also demands modern facilities, attained through expensive construction or renovation processes. Also required is sufficient space and equipment for undergraduate research projects and lab based courses to compliment the fundamentals taught in lectures. The progressive nature of many fields currently taught at universities and the expenses entailed with such advancement, coupled with two decades of static tuition costs creates a bizarre paradox.
This inconsistency between undergraduate tuition costs and the cost of effectively educating an undergraduate is not sustainable in conjunction with the province`s current finances. While increases to the full operational expenses of a university are not the sole responsibility of its undergraduates, full responsibility does not rest with the tax payers either. Because while many universities are publically funded institutions which also benefit society at large, students are among those who receive the greatest access to resources, and who reap the greatest advantage.
Quebec schools need additional funding in order to continue offering students the high quality education they expect. It is time that students realize that they too must bear some of the cost.