$16.8-B of disrepair: photos

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The photo to the left was submitted in November, 2021 by a music teacher in Ontario.

 

The following 5 photos were submitted in November, 2021, by a teacher at a Toronto high school, with the sentiments, “we see how repairs that go intended for many years turn into major problems. I think people will be really surprised by the state of this place.  What was once considered a “jewel” amongst schools, this building has been grossly neglected over the years. It is really hard to focus on teaching and supporting our students when our facilities are falling apart.  We can only do our best with the tools we are given, and our tools are broken.”

The subsequent photos have been submitted by parents, teachers, and education workers at various times to demonstrate what $16.8-B of disrepair actually LOOKS LIKE.

 

 

 

I am always impressed at how clean this high school is when I attend an event. The floors are gleaming, and there are caretakers everywhere working hard. I know from talking to students that repair needs are quickly identified and communicated. But I can only imagine how hard it is to get a school clean when all the surfaces are ancient, and have not been replaced/repaired in decades. As with EVERY other school I visit in Toronto there are no treads on the stairs… they have long worn off. The staircases are slippery and unsafe. They are becoming uneven as well. All I can think of in this school is poor air quality… flacking paint, floor finishes, chipped ceilings.. all the students and staff are breathing this 6+ hours a day. ~the following 5 pictures were taken by a parent at an Ontario high school

“The lack of funding for maintenance and infrastructure repair creates cascading problems. When we have to close down part of an aging building because we don’t have the funds to maintain or repair it, students get squeezed, and the learning environment suffers. When maintenance and infrastructure budgets are stripped of funds to pay for other vital but underfunded programs – like mandated small class sizes or full-day kindergarten – kids suffer. We know very well that the physical infrastructure of schools contributes to the learning environment of the child.”
–Head Custodian with Kawartha Ridge District School Board

I took some pictures today after my Saturday morning Learn-for-life class. The bathrooms only had cold water running and there were some rust stains around the school. (this statement addresses the next 12 pictures.

 

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I work in a kindergarten class, which is a new build with many new south-facing windows. The picture here was taken on day 3 of the September 2017 heat wave when I had finally had enough of three to five year olds suffering (the temperature was the lowest on this day).

We actually had to relocate the students to a cooler class (not air-conditioned) at lunch where 55 children had to eat lunch in one classroom just to be comfortable enough to eat their lunch. One child became so overheated that she had a terrible nosebleed that was difficult to stop because her temperature was so high.

Given the recent climate changes over the past few years that regularly sees parents dropping off ineffective fans for their children’s comfort, I would like you to consider increasing funding to deal specifically with the climate control in schools without air conditioning.

No person can possibly learn anything or function at a reasonable level at 34 degrees celsius. We simply must ensure that adequate funding exists for each classroom to maintain temperatures conducive to learning. 

Thank you very much for your consideration of this request. ~blog post-55 children eating in one classroom

 

OMG. Humberside had to keep their windows closed and any air ventilation off during this stifling heat wave because they were FINALLY fixing the roof. I was there for curriculum night and thought I was going to pass out from the heat. How are kids supposed to focus and learn?? It’s inhuman. Something has to change.
FB 26 Septembr at 22:31  

I refuse to send my children (1 having asthma) When there is an extreme hot weather alert for the whole city. A child in my friends daughter’s class fainted Yestetday!!
I usually only work weekends so I’m lucky I can keep the kids home….but what about those parents that have no choice but to go to work….those children have no choice but to go into those terrible conditions. We as parents have to take a stand. The heat wave breaks tonight…but what happens in may/June?
FB 27 September at 13:40