Disruption of schooling because of ‘lack of management’ by Ford, Lecce
Classes with a strict limit of 20 people, improved access to special education and mental health workers, and a pledge to cover the over $ 500 million the federal government has already invested in improving school ventilation – these were the Liberal leader’s main promises of Ontario, Steven del Duca presented the Liberal Plan to Restore Education in a news conference hosted by Ted Hsu, Liberal candidate for MPP, Kingston and the Isles, on the morning of June 23, 2021.
Ted Hsu, Liberal Candidate for MPP, Kingston and the Islands, will introduce Steven Del Duca to the press on Wednesday June 23, 2021.
Referring to the Ontario Science Table’s report, COVID-19 and Education Disruption in Ontario: Emerging Evidence on Impacts, Hsu said, “The numbers some economists put on the long-term costs of educational disruption are alarming.”
The Liberal leader blamed much of the blame on the Ontario Ford government, citing a lack of leadership and cooperation. “We have seen during this pandemic that Doug Ford or his team never made any real attempt or attempt to have an ongoing conversation with our partners in the Ontario education system. And for me this is a real missed opportunity, “said Del Duca,” and it’s a lack of leadership. “
Citing several Zoom conversations over the past year with various partners from all aspects of the publicly funded Education Province, Del Duca said, “There was a remarkable consensus on their desire to help, their desire to provide advice and guidance to the government or the people in this case an opposition party, and I am sure of all opposition parties, about what would work on the front line of education. And while we can’t rewind and go back in life, now, today, this week, Doug Ford has to give instructions to a minister and he himself has to partake in that real, authentic consultation until the end of getting the best advice possible again prepare our children for success. “
He continued, “Class sizes are such an important basic element in how we prepare our children for success and create the resilient, publicly funded, world-class education that everyone in this province desires. Therefore, in the Ontario Liberal Education Recovery Plan, we are calling for a firm upper limit of 20 class sizes across the board. ”Kingstonist and Del Duca made it clear that this would in fact include all elementary and high school classes.
The Liberal Leader stated, “This will give these children in this province – thousands of whom are likely to have significant learning gaps due to the nature of the severity of the pandemic – the chance to be properly assessed and the kind of face-to-face teaching by their teacher and by the other support staff in their school environment. In this way they can move forward, achieve something, catch up and feel comfortable in the school environment. “
In Hsu’s opening speech, he pointed out the urgent need for support for children with special needs and mental health problems.
Del Duca replied, “We are asking for 5,000 new special educators, that is, more than one additional special educator per school in Ontario, to help the children who need that extra help get the help they need, of course, we’re fine not good as a province. We are not good in our school system if we do not all have the chance to perform and to exceed. We are calling for 1,000 psychiatrists to be called in to assist because we know how grueling and how devastatingly difficult this pandemic has been on the mental health side of everyone. “
“We know that there are far too many schools in Ontario right now that are not in good shape. And during a pandemic, during the health crisis, the notion of air quality and ventilation quality was a really big deal for mothers and fathers in terms of knowing that we should all send our children to school, “said Del Duca,” and our plan So would match the over $ 500 million that the federal government has already invested to ensure we have top notch ventilation and air quality in our schools. So important again when you are faced with something like a health crisis, especially when … you want to give mothers and fathers, students, teachers and everyone else who works in education that security. “
Ultimately, Del Duca targeted the Ford government’s position on virtual versus in-person learning.
“I tell you, having experienced this firsthand with my own daughters this school year, I am here to tell you that when our children are healthy and in a building nothing will ever be better or better than personal learning are safe, this is physically healthy and safe when they are taught and when they are supported by motivated individuals who are respected and honored on this front line of education, ”he said.
“That philosophical idea that Doug Ford came up with that he wants to see a parallel, virtual publicly funded system just isn’t the case for me. It’s not going for me as a father, it’s not for me as someone running for your next prime minister. I think it’s a mistake. I think it’s a way of cutting costs rather than actually achieving success for our children. And I think that’s really bad economic policy, and that’s terribly bad educational policy. “
Given that many believe – and have voiced it very publicly – that Education Ministers Stephen Lecce and Ford have been hostile to teachers from the start and throughout the pandemic, and that they call any contribution from educators as ‘union squabbles,’ Del Duca was asked if the Liberal government would accept that teachers are experts in education and work with them.
“That’s a great question. I think Doug Ford’s approach to publicly funded education, the way he undermines and disregards the women and men who work on the front lines, teachers, but also janitors, bus drivers, principals, trustees, everyone, all of the work “The publicly funded educational ecosystem has been completely disregarded and demoted and undermined by Doug Ford,” he replied. “And I think that’s a recipe for disaster.”
The Liberal leader concluded, “I think Doug Ford made something very clear on a philosophical level: He does not support or value publicly funded education. And I don’t agree with him. I appreciate it, and I appreciate the women and men who heroically work on the front lines. I want every single educator and every other person who works in publicly funded education to feel valued, respected and motivated to pursue their life’s work, their calling, as they want, namely our children to success. This is what I want to see in my daughters’ classroom and what I want to see in the classrooms in every corner of Ontario. “
