Let’s Move Forward Assuming Premier Ford and Minister Lecce Meant What They Said!

August 4, 2020

A quick review of the last 10 days in public education in Ontario. It has been a whirlwhind!

On July 23, 2020, the Ministry of Education was very firm that there would be no additional funding to support COVID at this time.  

In the six days following that statement, a lot of political pressure came to bear on the Ford government:

  • Citizens across the province came together for a Day of Action on July 29th, visiting mant local MPP offices to demand a fully-funded, safe return to school.

And then on Thursday, July 30th, Minister Lecce and Premier Ford announced their plan for a return to school in September, along with a commitment of $309-million. While this amount is not nearly sufficient, Ford and Lecce also continued to pledge that they will do (and therefore spend) whatever is needed to keep students, teachers and education workers safe. Fix Our Schools is not alone in believing that all 72 Ontario school boards ought to move forward, assuming that Premier Ford and Minister Lecce meant what they said, to collaborate with their local public health units, teachers, principals, and education workers to develop the local plans they believe will be most successful.

As National Post columnist Chris Selley suggested in his August 1, 2020 column entitled, “Ontario school plan deserves a passing grade“, Ontario’s back-to-school plan could be more like successful back-to-school plans from other countries if school boards are given the resources they need. Selley also acknowledges that “the plan certainly could and should be more ambitious; its failure to mandate smaller class sizes or a minimum distance between students is conspicuous, in light of notably successful reopenings in Denmark and Norway — and in light of a report from doctors at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, which the government cites, that stressed the need for distancing. But there’s nothing in the plan that says schools can’t try to make the best of their individual situations. It’s at the local level that any plan fails or succeeds. Some might be able to install outdoor canopies on their sports fields, for example, to hold class outside even once summer is over. Some might have access to different kinds of nearby vacant space. Anything larger than your average at-capacity classroom would be beneficial, based on what we know, and I suspect the public would be happy to pay what it cost.“

In his July 30th Toronto Star column entitled, “Doug Ford is right to send Ontario students back to school“, Martin Regg Cohn calls Premier Ford and Minister Lecce’s back-to-school plan “a work in progress, a sensible start in the long road to recovery, albeit short on key details — notably its financial underpinnings.” Regg Cohn also states that “there are gaps in the plan, but they are not gaping holes that cannot be plugged with political will, a little goodwill, and financial wherewithal” and notes that “the government’s initial blueprint lowballs the ultimate costs” but he, too, reminds us that the Premier has “pledged to do (and therefore spend) whatever it takes to keep students safe — don’t forget teachers — so he can’t duck when the bills come due.”

So, as school boards move forward and release more detailed local plans for a safe return to school in September, we look forward to hearing and seeing the details of the actual costs of those plans so that Premier Ford knows how much he will need to spend beyond his initial commitment of $309-million.