Ford and Calandra’s hand-picked school supervisors make more cuts to our classrooms

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP Shadow Minister of Education MPP Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West – Nepean) stood in the legislature today to press the government on the recent program cuts to language programs in schools, after the Toronto Catholic District School Board supervisor announced cuts and unilateral scheduling changes:

“These cuts are deeply concerning. Once again, a provincial supervisor is making sweeping decisions that take supports and resources away from our kids and remove educators from our schools, without consulting anyone on the matter: students, parents, or educators.

“Cutting literacy supports and language programs is going to hurt kids, especially those who need support the most.

“Changing school times without even talking to staff or the community is deeply disrespectful and disregards the fact that people have lives and jobs they need to plan around.

“Furthermore, parents are getting conflicting information from this government, including from the Minister of Infrastructure, about whether language programs are being cut at all, raising serious questions about who is actually making decisions and whether anyone is taking responsibility.

“Ontarians deserve transparency, accountability, and consultation in our schools. Instead, they are once again having harmful decisions forced on them by a highly paid, unqualified Conservative insider, employed to the tune of 350,000 dollars a year by the Minister of Education.”