Fix Our Schools was happy to see our provincial government resume the process for getting new schools and additions built in Ontario. You see, this process had been on hold since the June 2018 provincial election so we’ve had a year when zero new school buildings or additions were approved by the provincial government. Building new schools is one of the keys to reducing the $15.9-billion of disrepair that continues to plague Ontario’s publicly funded schools so Fix Our Schools was understandably relieved at Minister Lecce’s announcement on July 22, 2019.
However, we are perplexed at Minister Lecce’s comment relative to a recent memo to school boards that encouraged school boards to identify opportuities for modular construction and standardized plans for building new schools, saying that this move is “simply about saving money“.
Fix Our Schools is very supportive of using new approaches to building schools where Ontario’s children can best learn and we are extremely supportive of pursuing approaches to new school buildings that are both efficient and effective. We would propose that using the sole criteria of “saving money” will not lead to optimum learning environments for students and may not lead to the the most efficient or effective approach to building new schools in this province, especially when considered over the long-term.
The Fix Our Schools campaign would like to see new schools built to last, using high-quality materials and finishes that are easy to clean and maintain. We believe this approach will result in maximizing cost-savings over time.
As quoted in the August 15, 2019 opinion piece entitled, “Here’s a lesson: When it comes to public school design, Ontario will get what it pays for“, by Alex Bozikovic in the Globe & Mail, we would like to see “new schools built using designs that inspire optimum learning and allow for dignity for all students and adults learning and working in that building”. Portables are not dignified learning environments so the fact that so many new schools open their doors with portables on site from the very first day is unacceptable. The photo below is of the Fraser Mustard Early Learning Academy in Toronto, according to Bozikovic, this building is “a rare example of creative, thoughtful design among Ontario public schools.”
Fix Our Schools would like to see new schools built using designs that allow for flexibility if future uses evolve. Being able to easily transform a publicly funded school into a community centre or seniors centre as a community’s demographics evolve is the ultimate in efficient design. Therefore, we are concerned that no thought seems to be given to future uses of the critical public buildings we happen to call schools today – but that could evolve to be called community centres thirty years from now.
We would like to see new schools built that meet the diverse needs of rural, urban and suburban communities across the province.
Fix Our Schools would also like to see new schools in Ontario that are designed and built to send the message to students that their education is valued and important. Many of the older schools across Ontario are stunning buildings that clearly communicated the importance of education via the grandeur of the building.
We would encourage Minister Lecce to consider criteria beyond “simply saving money” in the short-term when working with school boards to replace the 346 schools in this province that, according to the most recent Facilities Condition Index (FCI) data released by the Province in October 2017, would be cheaper to rebuild than repair.