Ford’s education cuts threaten math teacher layoffs, cancelled math classes: NDP

TORONTO — NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles issued the following statement after a Ford government announcement in a York region Catholic school on Tuesday failed to address Doug Ford’s cuts to education that will leave the York Catholic District School Board with a $7.7 million deficit, and threaten the jobs of hundreds of teachers in York Region District School Board.

“Doug Ford’s cuts to education are hurting students in York region and across the province. His cuts could result in thousands of teachers being fired across the province, including hundreds layoffs for teachers in York region schools alone. That includes math teachers, and cancelled math classes.

In order for children to learn and improve in math, they need math teachers. Summer programs and at-home supports continue to be valuable resources for students, but they cannot replace in-person learning with dedicated teachers. Ford’s cuts will take teachers out of schools and will mean fewer course options in math and a host of other subjects.

You can’t improve math skills by having more students in the classroom and firing math teachers.

Students will be returning to school in September with bigger class sizes, fewer teachers and education workers, and less one-on-one support that they need to succeed. Today’s re-announcement didn’t change that.

Students deserve more support and opportunity in school, not less.”