As Fix Our Schools has maintained since 2014, our publicly funded schools are critical infrastructure. However, successive provincial governments have allowed $16.3-billion of disrepair to accumulate in these buildings over the last several decades. Therefore, even before the COVID pandemic, these critical public buildings were not providing an optimal environment for learning and working, nor were they always safe, healthy, or well-maintained. But the pandemic has certainly emphasized how critical our public school buildings are to the delivery of quality education, and to the safety and health of students, teachers, and education workers. All of a sudden, issues like good classroom ventilation are at the forefront of plans for a safe return to school.
How can local schools ensure that classrooms w/no windows, windows that do not open & ones that only open a tiny bit ensure proper ventilation? Provincial funding should be flowing immediately to school boards to fix these issues. Contact your local MPP! #onted #onpoli @SFleece pic.twitter.com/9NWl7fZNWE
— Fix Our Schools (@Fix_Our_Schools) June 25, 2020
In a conversation with Dahlia Kurtz on CFRA 580 on her radio program called “The Goods” on Sunday, August 2, Krista Wylie, co-founder of the Fix Our Schools campaign, shared the roots of disrepair in Ontario’s schools. She also provided some insights on what is needed to ensure a not only a safe return to school in September amidst a global pandemic but also safe, healthy, well-maintained school buildings as part of standard protocol in public education in Ontario.