It is late May and temperatures are soaring. The vast majority of Ontario schools do not have air conditioning, many have classrooms without blinds, and often classroom windows do not open fully to be able to get an actual breeze. And yet, children in Ontario have another month of school left and many are writing EQAO tests.
Fix Our Schools has been hearing from parents and teachers alike:
“As the weather gets hotter outside, the classrooms are heating up as well – often as hot or hotter than outside.”
“Why does it take so long to figure out that concentration ability drops dramatically in hot weather? Why do we keep forcing our kids to endure this, when it is not necessary?”
“These CHILDREN are forced to endure conditions that would not be tolerated or accepted in any adult place. Why is that? Why are our children being neglected?”
“My daughter has a health issue that leads to seizures, migraine headaches, and all sorts of other complications if she overheats. She has EQAO this week. I’m frightened. Classrooms could be over 30 degrees.”
School conditions matter. The provincial government determines how much funding Ontario’s school boards receive to ensure that school conditions are acceptable so please vote on June 7th with your children in mind.