HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-05-02, Page 3THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019. PAGE 3.
True Confessions
from the Ninth Concession
A loving and humorous look at life
through story & song
FROM THE CREATOR OF WINGFIELD FARMS COMES
Tickets $45 | 1.877.862.5984 | BLYTHFESTIVAL.COM
May 23 & 24
7:30pm
May 25
2:00pm
Event Sponsors:
STARRING
DAN NEEDLES
AND
IAN BELL
NDP Education Critic Stiles holds local meeting
At the invite of local teachers and
NDP supporters, NDP Education
Critic and Davenport MPP Marit
Stiles visited Clinton last week to
provide a conduit for local teachers,
board members, parents and students
to the provincial government.
Stiles, during an interview with
The Citizen prior to her speaking
engagement, explained that she was
invited by local teachers and NDP
supporters to address the recent cuts
to education.
She said her goal was to listen to
the concerns, stories and suggestions
of the teachers, students and parents
at the event and take their concerns
back to Queen’s Park because some
felt that the government, and their
own MPP Lisa Thompson, also the
Minister of Education, weren’t
listening to the concerns aired.
When asked what her paramount
concerns are with the new education
plan, Stiles said that the claims about
no involuntary job losses were false.
She said that, whether jobs are lost
or eliminated, through attrition,
those jobs will no longer exist for
new teachers.
She also said that, with larger class
sizes, students will have fewer
choices for classes, as well as less
one-on-one time, which is critical.
Stiles also said that the “average
class size” was also a misnomer,
stating that many classes will end up
having 40 or more students, further
compounding the issues she outlined
with larger classes.
Online courses are also a concern
for Stiles who said that, despite there
being excellent online learning
opportunities for students in rural
and northern boards, teachers know
that kind of learning isn’t right for
every students.
“We’re hearing that students may
need to take a fifth year to focus on
these courses,” she said.
Stiles also addressed the $1.6
billion “retention fund” that was
reposted on Thursday, just ahead of
her meeting in Clinton, saying that
the fund wasn’t really a new
announcement, but had already been
announced earlier in the month.
“It’s wrong to portray it that way,”
she said.
OPENING COMMENTS
Stiles said it was “awesome” to
be in Huron-Bruce and Clinton
and said that, while she was there to
talk about education issues, she felt
that an overview of the decisions
made by the government was
necessary.
She pointed to what she believed
was downloading of public health
responsibilities back to
municipalities, saying it left
Ontarians at risk of another situation
like the deadly Walkerton water
crisis or severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) outbreaks.
She called the changes to
education “shameful” and said that
this government was attempting to
balance its budget “on the backs of
children”.
Stiles went on to say that she felt
the government was making most of
the changes for older students
because they may not be noticed as
readily as those in younger
classrooms, but she said that was a
fallacy. As a result, people were
frustrated with the changes.
“We’re finding voters, even those
who voted PC... saying this isn’t
what they voted for,” she said.
Stiles welcomed everyone to share
their stories and concerns and said
she would take those messages back
to Queen’s Park.
She also said that, as an education
critic, information should be easily
available to her about the changes,
but explained the current
government hasn’t been as
forthcoming as previous ones.
“This government is not providing
transparency,” she said. “School
boards are making decisions without
all the information because it’s not
being provided.”
Stiles also fought back against
claims that the NDP and unions
criticizing education reform were
fear mongers, saying that, without
the aforementioned information, it
was difficult for either her party or
the unions to assume anything but
the worst, claiming that the
provincial government’s track record
lent itself to that attitude.
She also said that there will be a
ripple effect felt from these reforms
and jobs may be lost outside of the
front-line educators.
Stiles then said that the
government will only listen when
large groups of people “shout
loudly”, pointing to the Conservative
government’s decision to backtrack
on projects like opening the
province’s Greenbelt to development
and changes to autism funding.
To conclude her opening remarks,
Stiles said that she is proud of the
decisions that everyone involved is
making when they speak up,
especially students. She said the
current generation of students isn’t
asking, but demanding that action is
taken. She said those same students
will vote one day, giving her hope
for change.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Former local NDP candidate and
Bluewater School Board Trustee Jan
Johnstone was the first to speak,
lamenting the decisions made by the
current government. She said that
the changes that are being proposed
will result in the education system
spiralling, with courses, especially
the humanities, being eliminated due
to a lack of teachers.
This impact will be more
significant in northern and rural
boards, she said, which won’t be
able to sustain classes.
Online courses were also a
concern for Johnstone who said that
access to technology is a concern,
especially in rural areas with spotty
or no reception for internet.
“How do we keep students
graduating in rural areas?” she
asked, citing the above problems as
factors that could lead to significant
increases in drop-outs.
Stiles shared those concerns,
saying that, on top of drop-outs,
there could be more students taking
“victory laps” or fifth years to
complete schooling.
One speaker said there will be a
void of 10 years between the
teachers who keep their jobs and the
newest teachers who will be coming
in, and he was concerned about
graduates not finding jobs.
Stiles, in response, said that
Premier Doug Ford’s goal with the
changes is to divide the education
system and pit groups against each
other. She said that unions were
being pitted against teachers, senior
teachers agains their junior
counterparts, boards against other
boards and teachers against parents
and that, if Ford succeeded, there
would be too much in-fighting to
stand against the cuts.
She said that, while Ford was
taking advantage of the situation,
former Ministers of Education under
the Liberal government created the
situation that allowed Ford to
capitalize on it.
“We have excellent education in
Ontario, but it’s thin,” she said.
“There is very little meat on the
bones, and that meat is the teachers.”
Another concern is the fact that
classrooms aren’t built for modern
education. In bygone eras, the
speaker said, classrooms were built
for 30 students at 30 desks in five
rows of six, however, with new
education ideas and technologies,
desks aren’t always an option,
especially for younger students.
Stiles said that classroom
redesigns are an important issue, but
one that likely won’t be tackled with
the $16 billion capital repair backlog
that already exists for the education
system. She said the system can’t
keep up, and more pressure is being
put on it now.
A speaker from Goderich said that
economic development would also
suffer as a result of these changes, as
young teachers bring families and
spending to the area. With an
already-declining population in
Huron-Bruce, he said this problem
would just be compounded under the
proposed government changes.
Jeff Denys, a teacher from Central
Huron Secondary School said that he
had a problem with the language
being used in regards to the cuts. He
said that, in his mind, the term
“teachers” only reflected the tip of
the iceberg.
He said that all professionals in the
system, including educational
The messenger
NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles visited the Clinton Branch
of the Royal Canadian Legion last Thursday night to gather
feedback on the education reforms proposed by the
provincial government and Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa
Thompson. Stiles vowed to deliver that feedback to
Thompson and Premier Doug Ford. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Meal time
Melville Presbyterian Church held its Spring Time Supper
at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre on
April 28. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued on page 9
The diamond in that ring!
(Thomas Brooks, “The Crown and Glory of Christianity,
or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness”, 1962)
The whole of Scripture is but one entire love-letter, all written in golden letters,
dispatched from the Lord Christ ot His beloved spouse on earth. In it, there is
so much to be read of...
the love of Christ,
the heart of Christ,
the kindness of Christ,
the grace of Christ,
the glory of Christ,
that a holy heart cannot but love, and embrace, and endeavor to conform to
every line.
The whole Word of God is a field--and Christ is the treasure which is hidden
in that field!
The whole Word of God is a ring of gold--and Christ is the diamond in that
ring!
“The Scriptures point to Me!” John 5:39
A Grace Gem
Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church,
Listowel, ON 519-291-1956