Dear Editor:
May 5 to 9 was Education Week and Mental Health Week in Ontario. As an elementary teacher, I am writing to let readers know that this is a very challenging time to be a student and a worker in the education system.
Because of severe Conservative spending cuts to schools, which began in the 1990s with Mike Harris and have continued for the past seven-plus years “thanks” to Doug Ford, schools do not have enough money to meet the needs of our kids. Despite the courageous, patient and diligent efforts of EAs, DECEs, custodians, administrators, and teachers to hold the system together and care for our students, Conservative policies have seriously broken the system.
Just as in health care, more and more responsibilities pile up on frontline workers’ shoulders (most of whom are women), while fewer and fewer supports come our way.
Now, Ford and his privatizing agenda is trying to shift the blame for this situation to local school boards for their supposed lack of fiscal responsibility. Adjusted for inflation, the province/Ministry of Education now gives school boards $1,500 less per student than in 2018.
Students with special needs are especially at risk because the current funding is based on projections rather than actual needs of students, putting schools in the position of having to ration things like psychological assessments and special education resources. Perhaps Ford and his ministry are trying to scapegoat local school boards instead of taking responsibility for not providing enough money in the first place.
Ontario doesn’t want or need a $200-billion tunnel under Highway 401 (maybe we could just buy back the 407 that Mike Harris sold off to private companies?). But we do want and need real investments in our public health care and education systems and the future citizens of our province.
The education funding formula is flawed and needs to be updated to meet the needs of our current society. Our young people are being robbed by greedy, private interests so that their mental health and learning needs are not being met, and I hope parents will learn more, organize and speak to their MPPs and school board trustees on this issue.
And please consider attending the upcoming Education Forum at Centre Wellington District High School in Fergus on May 22 at 7pm to learn more and share your experiences.
Rebekah Jamieson,
Guelph