As we approach the summer solstice in the Western/Northern Hemisphere – the longest day of the year – many of us are thinking about well-deserved holidays, a chance to relax a bit, and even if not taking a break, enjoying a slightly slower pace of life. Graduations are mostly behind us, but that does not mean we stop educating. Nor does the need for continued education – in all forms – end at the end of a school year. Now, more than ever, there is both opportunity and need to consider the importance of education for society.
Higher education – indeed all levels of education – helps to pave the way toward greater equality of opportunity, regardless of background or socio-economic status. In June we are reminded of the past and present struggles of marginalized and/or oppressed peoples: the rich culture and heritage of Indigenous peoples across Canada; the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in the US for gay rights and the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada in 1969 leading to what we now celebrate as Pride month and the value of 2SLGBTQIA+ people’s contributions to society; or the celebrations of Juneteenth to commemorate African-American and Black Seminoles’ emancipation from slavery in the US. Education has been an integral part of that history, both as a vehicle of oppression and as a pathway out of it.
Today, we find public support for equitable access to education under fire again. Whether for financial or political reasons, universities find themselves under siege across North America. The space for academic freedom, for peaceful exploration of a wide range of ideas and perspectives, for innovation and creativity, and for a diversity of learners and scholar-teachers to come together to shape our common future, continues to shrink in the face of external pressures. Increasingly, education as a public good seems to be relegated to wishful thinking – perhaps a midsummer night’s dream.
But this is not the first time nor the last time that education has been at the centre of social upheavals. I remain optimistic that education as a public good, including universities, will prevail in the end, with the collective brain power and empathy that unite teachers and students in a common mission to expand our hearts and minds. As McGill University’s recent honorary doctoral degree recipient, Joseph Chalhoub, pointed out, “Canada is a country that takes care of its citizens, and, for me, this is a human rights issue… University tuition is affordable compared to other countries. I truly believe that higher education enriches a country and its citizens.” (McGill University’s School of Continuing Studies Convocation, June 3, 2025). Let’s keep it that way!