The youth of Ontario know that their schools are in terrible shape. They dodge buckets of brown water leaking from roofs and sit in classrooms that could never be called ‘room temperature’. They know there is something wrong with the air in some of their classrooms because they feel dizzy or have problems breathing.
As parents, we don’t hear all the details… our children don’t know that school could be any other way. Many parents love their school community and cannot separate it from the building’s condition. We need to realize that school conditions are impacting our children’s learning.
When students contact us, it is often to say that they feel youth are not being heard. At Fix Our Schools we encourage them, giving them tools to advocate for themselves. Teachers can help them learn these skills by discussing issues that students face daily and encouraging them to take action. What is more ‘real world’ than your chipped locker that you face every day?
Ontario curriculum teaches Civics in Grade 10 – why don’t we encourage students to follow the steps through our levels of government to get the boiler replaced at their school, or a new school built in their neighbourhood? Wonder what concerns they have about the condition of their school? Ask. You’ll be surprised.
We ask.. this is what we hear:
Broken Staircases
Broken Railings
Holes in Walls
Freezing Classroom
Paint Peeling
Brown Ceilings
No Wi-Fi
No Stall Doors Left in Washrooms
Water Dripping
Cleanliness of Washrooms
No Computer Access
Lack of Equipment
Classrooms at 40°C
Radiators Falling off Walls
Rusted Bike Racks
Asbestos Wrapped Pipes
“Funny” Air