Democrats persist in maintaining school board trustees amidst silence from local board.
The education landscape in Ontario is currently shrouded in controversy, with a series of reforms proposed by the Ford government raising concerns among educators, parents, and opposition politicians. According to the Ministry of Education's own documents, teacher shortages are a pressing issue, stemming from a growing gap between teacher retirements and student enrollment. This is further exacerbated by increasing rates of violence in schools, as evidenced by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) data showing a year-on-year rise in injury claims from educators. However, the Minister's claim that teacher shortages are due to teacher absenteeism has been contradicted by these same documents and WSIB data. The Minister's assertion that the vast majority of school boards across the province are running surpluses is also under scrutiny. The Ministry of Education's own documents reveal that 40% of school boards are actually running a deficit, and this number is growing under the Conservative administration. Ontario NDP Shadow Minister of Education, Chandra Pasma, has issued a statement in response to comments by Ford's education minister about eliminating school board trustees. Pasma warns of potential irreparable damage to schools, communities, and children's futures if this plan is carried out. She references Quebec and Nova Scotia as warning signs of the potential consequences of such a move. Pasma also expressed concern about the lack of accountable, local representation in education if school board trustees are eliminated. She concluded her statement with a call for the Ford government to stop this reckless plan. The Minister's plans for Professional Development days have also come under scrutiny. The Minister wants to refocus these days on helping teachers teach, but has not addressed the new requirement that all teachers learn about School Resource Officer programs. This requirement, imposed on all teachers in the province, does not take into account whether such a program exists in their board. The Ford government is providing record funding for education, but schools are receiving less funding per student this year than they did in 2018-19 when adjusted for inflation, with a total shortfall of $6.3 billion. The education minister's comments were made on Newstalk 1010. A separate fact check has stated that the Minister of Education may shut down school boards if they believe they can get away with it. In a separate development, the Minister of Education in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, Jan Riedel, has been reported to want to authorise school principals to order extra work, which can include closing or adjusting school operations as a last resort. These developments in Ontario's education sector are causing a stir, with many questioning the government's approach and calling for more transparency and consultation.
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