with the official election set to kick off on september 10th, all parties are already dropping key pieces of their platform to get the message out there to surface on the front pages of online newspapers. with yesterday's liberal announcement of add another stat holiday, the NDP reached out the middle class parents with a promise to bring back tuition freezes to prices similar to the costs of the 2003-04 school year, which would lower tuition costs be nearly $500 per year. that money could in turn be used to cover the cost of books or perhaps fund an additional half credit at most ontario universities. graduate and professional school students could see additional savings of about $1500 annually.

the argument goes that the rising cost of education is becoming more and more difficult for lower and middle class families and more and more only richer segments of the population are able to send their children to post secondary schools whereas others are left out. education seems to be the great equalizer so keeping costs down is necessary to ensure everyone gets a fair share based on their aptitudes & intelligence. price freezes are intended to keep prices somewhat proportional and closer to the purchasing power of the middle class family.

is this policy smart? perhaps, at first glance it appears in line with the ideology of NDP and mighty tempting to get the youth and students on board. the history of price freezes tells another example in which controls by governments create demand in excess of supply. unless governments choose to introduce prize freezes while doubling current levels of school funding, the policy cannot sustain itself.

in my experience of the previous tuition freeze cycle, i've witnessed lecture halls become more packed, numerous of students on courses' waiting lists, additional teaching assistants had to be hired, and so forth. to be meet this demand of new students, parking costs nearly doubled, services that once gave students an cost advantage on campus became grossly overpriced and students turned elsewhere.

keeping costs down is a clever political ploy but the economic side requires greater attention. it is better to pay the rate set by the school as opposed to government mandated prices in which schools struggle to keep costs in accordance to those levels. in no time, the so-called $500 in tuition savings find themselves exposed in other costs to make up the difference.

on the surface, ndp's pledge will garner much attention and young voters will drape themselves in orange. but a slight consideration of the student situation the past five years will make anyone realize the tuition freeze is actually more damaging than doing anything good.