Staggered start still underfunded: Horwath

QUEEN’S PARK — With the window for rescuing the start of the school year about to slam shut, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is urging the Ford government to do much more than just give its permission for school boards to stagger the back-to-school week.

“Staggering arrival days means the Ford government needs to step up with child care and paid-leave options for parents urgently,” said Horwath. “And, ultimately, sending kids back into crowded classes with no way to physically distance is no more acceptable on Friday than it is on Monday.

“Time is quickly running out. If I were premier, I’d be hustling to hire thousands of teachers and education workers and helping school boards and municipalities to line up temporary classrooms so that students can physically distance when they go back-to-school.”