Education Week statement from Marit Stiles, Official Opposition Education critic

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP Education critic Marit Stiles released the following statement to mark Education Week, which begins Monday May 3:

“On Education Week, Ontario’s Official Opposition is saluting the incredible work of education workers, school leadership and trustees who have helped support students throughout this pandemic, and calling on the Ford government to invest in and support our public education system.

Ontario's publicly funded schools are dynamic, creative and world-leading because of the determination and caring of the people who make them work. This year, our school communities showed that we are truly #StrongerTogether, as they stepped up to support students in school and at home through a difficult series of preventable school closures.

New Democrats are challenging the Ford government to take this year’s theme to heart and work in good faith with education workers, school boards and families to ensure our schools can reopen safely. We are also calling on the government to reverse their deep cuts to education, scrap their risky plan to make online learning permanent, close the door on privatization and focus on investing in the face-to-face learning that kids need to thrive.

Together, we can ensure all education workers are vaccinated immediately, that ventilation systems are enhanced and that class sizes are capped so we can safely reopen schools, sooner, with additional supports for struggling students and exhausted staff.

This Education Week, let’s move forward with a bold and ambitious pandemic recovery plan that centres the needs of Ontario’s children and youth."