September 8th, 2015

Statement from NDP Education Critic Lisa Gretzky on the First Day of School

Lisa Gretzky, Ontario NDP Education Critic and MPP for Windsor West, issued the following statement.

“On the first day of the school year, students across Ontario are looking forward to opening new doors, making new friends, and discovering new ideas, with the support of our dedicated teachers and education workers. As classes resume, we see the importance of our schools to every child and every community across our province. We are also reminded of the promise of publicly-funded education to help all of our students achieve their full potential.

Unfortunately, on a day that should be filled with optimism, families are also worried and frustrated about this Liberal government’s record on education. Parents see that Liberal cuts to education are creating uncertainty in our classrooms and making it harder for students to learn. Under Kathleen Wynne, the government will cut up to $500 million from classrooms by 2017, meaning fewer special education supports and even more school closures. After failing to reach new agreements, many teachers and education workers are working for a second September without a contract. It’s deeply disappointing that Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals still haven’t learned how to create stability in our classrooms.

Today, New Democrats stand with families in calling on Kathleen Wynne to stop her cuts to education, stop causing chaos in our schools, and start putting students first.”