TORONTO, Ont. - The province’s education plan has drawn criticism from both teachers unions and parents, particularly when it comes to class sizes, but Premier Doug Ford continues to defend the plan to return kids to the classroom.
“I think it’s a good plan,” Ford said during his daily media briefing on Wednesday. “At the end of the day, I am relying on Sick Kids, the health table. I am relying on the health and the science.”
Ford faced numerous questions during his daily briefing on the plan, particularly class sizes in elementary schools and the Sick Kids Hospital recommendation that states smaller class sizes should be the priority.
As the plan stands now, elementary students will be returning to the classroom five days a week, at full capacity though remaining in a single cohort throughout the day.
Ford referenced Kindergarten classes, where there will still be a cohort of 15 students divided between a teacher and an early childhood educator.
“Is it going to be perfect? No,” Ford said. “You put 2 million of anyone, especially students, and 160,000 teachers, into a system, you have to be prepared.”
In the northwest, with most school boards classified as non-designated, secondary schools could also see classrooms at full capacity.
Ford said the cohorts in Ontario classrooms are the lowest in all the country, but that does little to quell the concerns of many parents and educators.
When the return to school plan was announced, the provincial government also committed more than $300 million to schools to hire public health nurses, custodial staff, and acquire the necessary personal protective equipment.
The plan is also drawing criticism from the official opposition, with NDP leader Andrea Horwath issuing a statement calling out Ford for sticking with the class sizes.
"Thirty or more kids crammed into one small classroom wasn’t ok before the pandemic when Mr. Ford was cutting teachers and education workers and hiking class sizes. Now, it’s downright dangerous," she said.
"Like many parents, teachers, educators and health experts, I was horrified today to hear Doug Ford dig in his heels and refuse to reconsider his plan to send kids back into jam-packed classes in September. I’m asking Mr. Ford to listen to the parents who are worried. Listen to the experts that say small class sizes are necessary to keep our kids safe."
Ford was asked if reducing class sizes was a matter of no additional funding being available.
“It’s not about dollars and cents when it comes to this pandemic,” he said. “Now our focus is making sure we protect our children. I’ll never say never. This is the budget we laid out. It’s the largest per pupil in the entire country so I think we are pulling our weight.”
Additional funding of $80 million is available for urban areas if more support is required, but Ford also referenced that many rural areas of the province have not seen any new COVID-19 cases in weeks or months.
Parents also have the option to not allow their children to return to the classroom and online learning will still be available.
“I get it not all parents are going to be 100 per cent comfortable,” Ford said. “I wish I had a magic wand and say everyone is going to be perfectly fine, but we are relying on the best health minds in the country.”
The situation in schools will be monitored as the pandemic evolves and the option to close schools again is still on the table.
“I won’t hesitate if we have a second wave and this starts blowing up to close the schools,” Ford said. “We have to protect the kids.”
