Ford government ditches data for politics in post-secondary education decision-making

If Ontario wants to strengthen productivity and competitiveness, it does not make economic sense to base workforce planning decisions on weaker evidence

By Rudi Wallace and Karen Robson

At a time when young people in Ontario are struggling to find stable work, families are stretching to pay tuition, and students face growing mental health challenges, the Ford government is removing one of the few independent bodies that tells us what is actually working in higher education.

The hastily passed Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026 will, among other actions, dissolve the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), folding its research into a government ministry, and leave Ontarians with fewer guarantees that decisions about colleges and universities are guided by facts rather than politics.

The Ford government must delay the dissolution of HEQCO and take time for essential public consultation, which did not happen during the rapid passage of the Bill. Expert input into possible guidelines, directions and accountability measures for education policy research would ensure that our kids are getting the best possible education system based on facts and data, and not the political fads du jour.

HEQCO’s job has never been flashy. It is the kind of public infrastructure most people don’t know even exists. HEQCO collects and analyzes data on universities and colleges, evaluating what is and isn’t working, and producing evidence-based recommendations about access, quality, and accountability. That includes asking hard questions – like how well Indigenous, Black and racialized youth are accessing and completing postsecondary education, and which supports are actually improving outcomes to graduate.

The Ontario government says the dissolution will reduce duplication and administrative burden and focus on student achievement. Yet when that work sits at arm’s length from day-to-day politics, it can serve the public interest by comparing outcomes across institutions and identifying whether public dollars are delivering public value.

The independent research of HEQCO helps Ontario track whether programs are aligned with emerging needs, whether co-op and work‑integrated learning are paying off and where gaps in regional talent pipelines are widening.

Student success is built on steady, essential work: reliable data systems, transparent evaluation and stable funding that allows institutions to hire instructors, deliver programs that meet demands and provide effective student supports.

Just as important, higher education is one of Ontario’s strongest labour market tools. Universities and colleges supply the nurses, engineers, teachers, technicians and entrepreneurs that communities and the economy rely on – and help mid‑career workers retrain when industries shift.

With close to 750,000 students enrolled across Ontario, their ability to graduate directly impacts meeting market needs, especially at a time of change and challenges, like AI or skilled-trade shortages. In a province trying to strengthen productivity and competitiveness, it does not make economic sense to base workforce planning decisions on weaker evidence.

This is not an abstract fight among insiders.

Families make life-changing financial choices based on the promise that postsecondary education will open doors to good jobs and financial security, while local economies require better information about whether education is translating into stable employment, living wages and the skills employers need. Weakening independent capacity to build and analyze those data sets makes it harder to spot skills mismatches, evaluate training and employment initiatives, and build the stronger, fairer labour market the Ontario government says it wants.

Some may argue that independence isn’t the only path to credibility: clear mandates, public reporting requirements and external advisory panels could maintain accountability while streamlining overhead. However, when the evaluator reports to the system it is assessing, results can be shaped to minimize political risk instead of maximizing public understanding.

In Hamilton, a community research partnership between Hamilton-Wentworth public school boards, Mohawk College, McMaster University and Hamilton Community Foundation helps map students’ educational pathways and identify where barriers persist. This kind of work relies on shared data and analysis provided by HEQCO and will likely be lost once folded inside government.

By continuing to enable independent expertise for improving post-secondary education, the Ontario government can focus its political energy on solving the real problem in higher education – ensuring schools have the stable resources they need to serve a diverse population of learners and adapt to changing economies and job markets.

Universities and colleges are public institutions built and funded with public dollars. Amid an affordability and employment crisis, Ontarians have the right to know how our dollars are doing.

Rudi Wallace is the president and CEO of Hamilton Community Foundation and Karen Robson is Ontario Research Chair of Academic Achievement and At-Risk Youth at McMaster University.

Originally published June 2, 2026 in The Hamilton Spectator