Students across the province are striking in protest of the government’s proposed increases to their university tuition of $325 a year starting in 2012. This is a calculated move organized by the Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE).

Quebec has a history with striking students and they have proven quite successful with their tactics in the past.

October, 1968: a strike began at Collège Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse-de-Blainville which set off a series of strikes by CEGEP students across the province.

Fall, 1974: students from CEGEP and high school went on strike to oppose the new university aptitude tests the government hoped to imposed. The widespread strike resulted in the government backing down and suspending the use of the tests. A second wave of strikes concerning scholarships and financial aid soon involved more than 10,000 students more than 40 schools. The strike also led to the creation of the Association nationale des étudiants et étudiantes du Québec (ANEEQ) in 1975.

November, 1978: another widespread strike in the province, again over financial aid, led Université de Québec à Montreal (UQAM) students to join the cause -- the first time an entire university was closed for a strike. The government responded almost immediately by making concessions to demands of the striking students.

Winter, 1986: the ruling Liberal government announced it would increase tuition fees, much to the chagrin of students. The ANEEQ organized a strike in protest. It took only five days before the government backed down and kept tuition levels the same.

Fall, 1996: the Quebec government, under Lucien Bouchard, attempted to unfreeze tuition costs, which had remained the same since 1994. A strike was organized by the Mouvement pour le Droit à l'Éducation and involved two universities as well as 46 CEGEPs. In mid-November, Pauline Marois (then minister of education), announced tuition fees would increase by 30 per cent but a freeze would be put in place following the increases.

Winter, 2005: more than 170,000 students went on strike to protest budget cuts by the Charest government to loans and bursaries. In the 2004 budget, the Liberals had transferred $103 million-worth of bursaries to loans, enraging students. The Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante led the strike and the government decided to reinstate $70 million to bursaries in 2006, with the $103 million put back in financial aid by 2006-07.

Photo: shahk via Flickr (http://opnfil.es/xkjngL)