Private college suspended by province
On Wednesday night, the province announced it has suspended the licence of Goodwin College of Technology and Management Inc. and ordered it to cease operations for violating the Private Career Colleges Act.
The legislation ensures the private institutions meet certain standards for their programs, advertising, refund policies and instructor qualifications.
In addition to offering unapproved courses at its three campuses in downtown Toronto, on the border of North York and Scarborough and in Mississauga, the province said the Mississauga site was not registered with the government.
The Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students is calling on the provincial government to help Goodwin students by finding them spaces in public colleges at no additional cost.
The government should also place a moratorium on approving new private career colleges with an eye to eliminating the for-profit institutions altogether, the federation said.
"It seems that every year there is another scandal about a private career college leaving students stranded with nothing to show for the tens of thousands of dollars they have paid in tuition fees," chairperson Shelley Melanson said in a statement.
"It's astonishing that our government continues to give these diploma mills legitimacy."
Some private colleges prey on immigrants and new Canadians and often charge tuitions that are as much as five times higher than public college fees, Melanson said.
The ministry is working to find alternative college placements for Goodwin students. Anyone with questions about their training or rights under the legislation can contact the ministry at 416-314-0500.
