Ontario is introducing legislation to give the province more control over school boards’ academic priorities and the education system in areas of student achievement and teacher education.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce began an April 17 news conference by reading a quote from the Royal Commission of Learning, commissioned by the NDP government in 1990.
“There exists widespread unease that schools have become a kingdom onto themselves and little need to report to parents or at the world at large what they’re doing with our kids and whether they’re doing it successfully,” read Lecce.
He said over the last 30 years it has been “abundantly clear to parents that the system needs to change.”
Lecce said new legislation tabled April 17, dubbed the “Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act,” is an “overhaul” intended to improve transparency for parents and ensure the education system is focused on improving student outcomes in “back to basics” learning.
“We believe we can work better to elevate the standards and the fluency and fundamental skills like reading, writing and math,” said Lecce.
The act, he said, is based on three key pillars: more accountability, building new schools faster, and improving training for educators. He said the legislation will “enhance the rights of parents” in the education system and authorize “new transparent reporting requirements.”
Lecce said the legislation gives the government new tools to set clear expectations and priorities for student achievement and includes reporting requirements for school boards to update progress on priorities directly to parents.
More Funding
On April 16, the province announced funding for 1,000 new educators to focus on reading and writing.Lecce said on April 17 that the government will invest $690 million into the upcoming school year via Grants for Student Needs—an increase of 2.7 percent in funding.
Lecce said the province would invest an additional $100 million, in addition to the announcement the previous day, to hire 1,000 more frontline educators focusing on students from grades seven to 10.
He said there will now be “a public-facing accountability” where boards have to post an improvement plan and consult with parents twice annually on the development of the plan.
NDP education critic Chandra Pasma said the government’s investment into education was “more smoke and mirrors from a minister who will do literally anything but take responsibility for his own underfunding of education and the impact that’s having on kids.”
“We know why our kids are struggling, it’s because they’re in overcrowded classrooms where they can’t get the supports they need after three years of disrupted learning,” said Pasma.
Lecce said parents have been “loud and clear on their priorities when it comes to the education system.” He said schools have to “focus on reading, writing, math, and student achievement.”
