Ontario Premier Doug Ford called students protesting changes to financial aid and tuition increases “naive” on Monday, saying they should be thanking his government for its investment in post-secondary education.

According to CBC reporting by Gabriela Silva Ponte, Ford made the comments at an unrelated news conference when asked about last week’s “Hands Off Our Education!” protests. Demonstrations took place at campuses across Ontario, including York University, the University of Guelph, Trent University and the University of Windsor.

“These kids are so naive,” Ford said. “They should be … thanking the government for just investing.”

The protests followed the province’s decision earlier this year to lift a seven-year tuition freeze. In February, Ontario also announced changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program that reduced the amount of grant funding students could receive, citing “unsustainable” costs.

Ford accused protesters of following social media uncritically, likening them to “sheep” and describing some people posting online as “looney tunes.”

He said students should stay in class rather than walk out and focus on preparing for jobs in fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health care.

Ford also praised Canadian students, saying the country has “incredible students” and that those who study would be successful. He described a well-paying job as the most important thing students need when they leave university or college.

Sources