TORONTO – Steven Del Duca, Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, issued the following statement:
“For months, everyone involved in publicly-funded education has struggled to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic without adequate support from Doug Ford. And now, our school kids, their families and those working on the front lines in education have no clear sense of what to expect on the other side of the upcoming holiday break.”
“With positive cases continuing to climb exponentially and grave concerns about a hospital system under duress, Doug Ford should step up and extend the holiday break for one additional week. This would give the Ministry of Education the chance to assess the situation and relieve the stress and fatigue that has affected school kids, educators, administrators and support staff. In addition, Doug Ford should provide notice as to this extension immediately, so that people can plan properly and not scramble at the last second.”
“I repeat my calls for a real plan to keep our school kids safe. We need small class sizes, proper school ventilation, sufficient PPE, mental health supports and proper resources for school bus transportation. Doug Ford should stop hoarding billions of dollars in pandemic relief and make an urgent and meaningful investment in publicly-funded education before it’s too late.”
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