Ford’s education cuts will cancel technology, arts, trades classes

Multiple school boards released letters outlining how cuts will hurt students

QUEEN’S PARK — On the day before tens of thousands of students engage in a province-wide walkout to protest Doug Ford's cuts in their schools, Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath joined with students, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) and Peel District School Board (PDSB) to say that scrapping course options like technology classes, arts classes and learning trades in school is wrong, and will hurt students.
“Tomorrow, thousands of students will be walking out of classes in public schools across Ontario,” said Horwath. “They’re taking this dramatic step because they know the Ford government is putting their education, and their future at risk with cuts that will mean larger classrooms, massive teacher lay-offs and the elimination of arts, music, tech and trades programs.”

The HPEDSB was “particularly alarmed by changes to class sizes in elementary and secondary schools” and noted that the Ford government’s e-learning requirement would be deeply unfair to rural students without access to broadband internet. The Chair of the TDSB expressed her “deep concern” about the “magnitude of permanent teacher reductions”. The PDSB noted that if they were forced to implement the Ford government’s cuts in September, “500 secondary teaching jobs would be lost”. And letter after letter said that opportunities for students to get an education in classes from band to technology to mechanics will be among the casualties of Ford's cuts.
Horwath put the question to the Ford Conservatives at Queens Park on Wednesday.

“Will the Ford government listen to education experts, school boards and the thousands of young people protesting tomorrow and stop their disastrous plan for cuts in the classroom?”
In response, Education Minister Lisa Thompson dismissed concerns raised by students, school boards and the Official Opposition as “disgusting” and “pushing ideologies, nonsense, and fear-mongering.”
“Ontarians deserve so much better than this Education Minister’s neglect and disrespect,” said Horwath. “Rather than hurl insults at school boards, teachers and parents, the Ford government should stop these cuts, build up our public education system and create more opportunities for children and youth, not less.”