Catholic school funding discussed

It doesn’t sound as if funding for Catholic schools is going to be an problem issue in the coming provincial election.

At a recent meeting of Arthur business members and Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak, it was a question faced point blank on Jan. 13.

Wellington Catholic School Board representative Jim Coffey asked “Will you continue to fund Catholic schools and full-day Junior Kindergarten?”

In Wellington, five schools in the Catholic board are already providing full-day Junior  Kindergarten.

Hudak’s response was that his party was focussed on providing a quality education for students.

He noted that during the last election, the issue of religion and schools “did not work well for us.”

Hudak also believed it was time to stop giving children passing grades “for the sake of passing.”

All it will do, he said “is lead to a rude awakening in the real world.”

As to whether or not full-day kindergarten would continue, Hudak said the intent would be to continue to provide it in schools where it has already  been implemented.

Any expansion of the initiative is still in the air.

“Our ability to continue it depends on the mess (Ontario premier) McGuinty leaves behind.