THUNDER BAY - Two local MPPs are joining a growing chorus of voices speaking out against the provincial government’s back to school plan, saying by not reducing class sizes, students and teachers are being put at risk.
“Quite frankly, I think the Ford government plan falls woefully short in terms of a safe return to school, especially for elementary school students,” said Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle.
The Ford government unveiled its back to school plan last week and in that time it has been questioned and criticized, with parents, teachers, and opposition MPPs expressing concerns that class sizes will remain the same as before.
“I think I feel very badly for parents. They are faced with wanting their kids to go back to school but being afraid of what`s going on,” said Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Judith Monteith Farrell.
“I would like to see smaller class sizes. Especially in the younger grades and I would like to see high school done differently so you are not sentencing them to part-time online learning.”
Two local school boards have released their back to school plans and in following with ministry guidelines, students will be back in the classroom five days a week with normal class sizes. At-home learning models are also available.
Enhanced public health measures will be put in place, but Gravelle says that does not do enough to protect students and staff in the classroom.
Gravelle referred to a plan devised by the Liberal Party of class sizes no larger than 15 students, which would require additional teachers and staff.
“The bottom line has to be health and safety and the Conservatives have missed the mark quite frankly and need to back track and provide those resources so we can ensure a safer environment for our elementary school students,” he said.
“It does require more classroom people, more custodian caretakers, more outside facilities to be used as classrooms, but I think in this particular unprecedented time it is the right thing to do.”
Monteith-Farrell agrees, saying its fine if the government wants to open up schools again, but it won’t work if there are not enough resources to make it happen in a safe way.
“I think what their plan is very much in line with what we`ve been saying,” Monteith –Farrell said of the Liberal’s plan. “More resources. That is important. We need to see sufficient money in place for human resources and smaller class sizes is essential.”
Following the release of the return to school plan, teachers unions and federations said there was a complete lack of consultation with teachers by the provincial government.
“I don’t think there has been thorough consultation whatsoever,” Gravelle said. “It’s clear for real consultation to take place it requires sitting down and listening to the experts in the field and those are the teachers themselves. I don`t believe they have been listened to by this government and that is evident in the backward plan in place.”
Both Gravelle and Monteith-Farrell praised the mandatory mask requirement for students in Grades 4 to 12, though it won’t be without challenges as well.
“I think it`s important that we wear masks,” Monteith-Farrell said. “We have models from other countries Children are very adaptable. You can make it fun, educators are really good about that.”
“I think wearing a mask is a good thing. But I think it may be difficult to enforce, which is why it makes it all the more important that we have physical distancing in the classroom itself,” Gravelle added. “Under the current plan, that physical distancing won’t be put in place in elementary classes.”
School is scheduled to begin in early September. Students in the Lakehead Public School Board are required to register for in-school learning by Aug. 14, while those in the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board are already registered and required to opt-in for at-home learning by Aug. 17.
