Since
the Ford government took over, there have been a number of issues,
directly impacting this area, which cause me great concern. The
cancelling of all “green” initiatives eliminated a project which would
have created employment and cost reduction to Dysart. The refusal to add
the extra dollar an hour to the minimum wage assures we will remain one
of the poorest counties in the province. The directive to caucus to not
use the words “climate change” in writings or interviews is
frighteningly anti-democratic. Thankfully, he was forced to back away
from some of his slash and burn proposals regarding the environment but
many remain on the table.

 

Ford’s
view of education is even scarier. There was a huge backlash to his
plan to cancel full-time JK/SK programming but his solution to saving
money, without regard to our children, is to contemplate having larger
classes. For years, research has suggested early childhood education is
supremely important. Having taught classes of 29 and 30, I can attest to
the fact that there are already too many little ones in a room, even
with two teachers. The space is not adequate and the expectations are
that the children will not only be kept safe and well behaved, but that
they will absorb a “three R’s” curriculum which keeps growing. To put it
in terms non-teachers might appreciate – if you were having a birthday
party for 29 three-, four- and five-year-olds, how many adults would you
like in the room? Smaller numbers are so important in primary grades.

 

Please write our MPP to raise your concern over JK/SK class size increases and any other issues that worry you.