TORONTO – Steven Del Duca, Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, made the following statement:
“The countdown to school reopening is underway – and time is running out. Doug Ford has ignored the growing call for smaller class sizes from parents, educators, school boards and Ontario’s top health experts.”
“As Liberal Leader and as a father, I have a duty to stand up for those being ignored. We’re telling Doug Ford that without smaller class sizes and physical distancing, Ontario simply isn’t ready to reopen our schools safely. We must consider delaying the start of back to school in order to give school boards more time and more resources to deliver a safe return.”
“Yesterday, British Columbia pushed back school reopenings. Doug Ford must stop being stubborn, and immediately convene an all-party Education Command Table, composed of experts and Opposition members, and consider all options, including a delay to the start of school.
“We simply can’t leave it up to Doug Ford, Stephen Lecce and Sam Oosterhoff to decide if it’s safe for kids to go back to class. We need health and education experts, including school board leaders, parent associations, students, teachers, principals and support staff at the table to advise if a delay is needed to get the job done right.
“If school boards want to opt out of the delay – and can deliver small classes – they should have that option. But let’s be clear: most school boards need more time and more provincial investment to get class sizes down.”
To underscore the urgency, Ontario Liberals have launched an online Countdown Clock, marking the exact minutes and seconds until our kids go to school.
“The clock is ticking. We need to work together to get our kids back to school safely. Our number one priority has to be protecting our kids, and giving Moms and Dads the peace of mind they need to go back to work.”