June 2, 2006 Highlights
On this page:
- Bill 78 Passes
- Education Grants to School Boards Delayed
- Near North Occasional Teachers’ Strike
- Legislation Introduced to Establish Arts Education Week
- Provincial Commitment to Child Care
1. Bill 78 Passes
On June 1, Bill 78, the Education Statute Amendment Act (Student Performance), 2006 received Third and Final Reading. The bill is awaiting Royal Assent. Certain sections, including those relating to the new teacher induction program, the process for new teachers who do not successfully complete their performance appraisal process, and the role of student trustees, will not take effect following Royal Assent but will be implemented through separate proclamations at a later date.
To read the ETFO news release in response to the passage of Bill 78, click on this link: Education Reform Miss The Mark – June 1, 2006
2. Education Grants to School Boards Delayed
The funding grants to school boards are late once again this year. Despite a commitment by former education minister Gerard Kennedy to issue the grants in April, the change in ministers and an internal review of the grants by the Ministry of Education are resulting in a later than ever release of the information. The delay is creating considerable difficulties for school boards attempting to plan for the next school year.
On May 30, PC Education Critic Frank Klees pressed the minister for a clear indication of when the grants would be announced. Education Minister Sandra Pupatello replied: “As a new minister, I can tell you that I have taken some extra time. As you know, your formula, which you created, allowed boards tremendous difficulties because there were a number of flaws in this formula. I hope boards will be pleased to see that we're taking our time with the release of these grants.”
An article printed in the June 1 edition of the Woodstock Sentinel-Review reported that: “Pupatello confirmed the difference between [the] funding formula benchmark [for] salary costs and actual pay rates was one of the items the ministry has been taking time to figure out for the coming budget. She said that demands also need to be balanced with the government’s priorities, such as the early years class cap, the learning to 18 and the student success initiatives.”
3. Near North Occasional Teachers’ Strike
On May 29, PC MPP Norm Miller (Parry Sound-Muskoka) reported the complaints he was receiving from parents in his constituency about the closure of schools resulting from the strike of public elementary occasional teachers. He asked the Minister of Education what she was doing to bring an end to the strike.
The Minister replied:
“As you know, we have spent an inordinate amount of time talking to both sides in the Near North…We have had ongoing conversations, both with the Near North board as well as with ETFO. Our priority has been from the beginning that children need to be in the classroom.”
She indicated she was hopeful there would be “good news” in very short order. A tentative settlement was announced later that day.
On June 1, Mr. Miller introduced a petition from his constituents calling for education to be declared an essential service. The petition stated:
"We, the undersigned, are requesting the McGuinty government to introduce and pass legislation requiring all teachers province-wide to become an essential service so that our children will no longer be used as pawns in negotiations."
4. Legislation Introduced to Establish Arts Education Week
On May 30, Liberal MPP Jennifer Mossop introduced a Private Member’s bill that proposes to designate the fourth week in October as Arts Education Week. In explaining the purpose of the bill, Ms Mossop stated:
“We know the importance of arts education intuitively, anecdotally and empirically. There are dozens of research studies that tell us about the importance of arts ed. for better test scores, self-esteem, self-confidence, staying in school and better adult outcomes. What we have here, by setting aside the fourth week in October every year as Arts Education Week, is an opportunity to celebrate, to honour and to manifest arts education throughout the province of Ontario.”
5. Provincial Commitment to Child Care
On June 1, NDP Leader Howard Hampton pointed to the provincial government’s failure to secure any commitment from the federal government to financially support child care in Ontario beyond the end of this fiscal year as announced in the federal budget. He called on the Ontario government to live up to its election promise to restore the $300 million cut from the child care budget by the previous Tory government.
Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers attempted to deflect the criticism by calling on the NDP to support the province’s bid to restore the federal funding commitment to child care. She also chided the NDP for not doing more for child care while in government:
“The leader of the third party said something quite meaningful and profound just now. He said that successive governments in Quebec have supported child care. It's a pity we can't say that here in Ontario. If that were the case in Ontario, then the NDP, when they had the opportunity to support child care in this province, would have done the same. We have provided them with other, more recent opportunities to support the child care plan, and they have not agreed; they have not come forward.”
For more information, check the website of the Ontario Legislature: www.ontla.on.ca