Latest news with #ChandraPasma
Global News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
‘Significant crisis': Number of violent incidents reported in Ontario's schools grows
The number of violent incidents in Ontario's classrooms has skyrocketed in recent years, according to new data obtained by Global News, leading to calls for the Ford government to spend more on the education system. Years' worth of data shows the level of violence reported by school boards to the Ministry of Education has risen by 77 per cent since the Progressive Conservatives took office, with more than 4,400 incidents reported in the 2023-24 year alone. The rate of violent incidents has risen annually since the 2018-19 school year, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic, when school boards were closed for long stretches. The information, obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws, has led to renewed calls from teachers and opposition politicians for the government to address what some call a growing 'crisis.' 'It confirms what parents and educators have been saying for some time — that there is a significant crisis of violence in our classrooms and the violence is getting worse over time,' NDP MPP Chandra Pasma said. Story continues below advertisement The Ministry of Education acknowledged the numbers were increasing. 'To address rising violence in our schools and communities, our government has increased funding for school safety initiatives to the highest in Ontario history, including more funding to hire psychologists, social workers, child/youth workers and educational assistants to enhance direct services for students,' a spokesperson said. More than 4,400 incidents last year A summary of all the violence incidents reported to the government by Ontario's school boards over the past seven years shows a significant increase, especially since the pandemic. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In 2018-19, schools reported 2,499 incidents across the province over the course of the academic year. The next year, it rose to 3,237. The figures dropped to just 993 during the 2020-21 year and 2,866 the year after, as the pandemic wound up and school returned to a normal schedule. Story continues below advertisement By 2022-23, the numbers spiked up to 4,414 violent incidents through the year. Last year, officials saw a marginal increase, taking the total to a recent record of 4,424. Use the chart above to explore the total number of incidents reported in Ontario, as well as a board-by-board breakdown. Note that the Y-axis will change depending on your selection. The Peel District School Board reported the highest number of violent incidents in the 2023-24 year, with 431. That was a drop from the year before, when Peel's 717 violent incidents made up 16 per cent of every altercation reported in the entire province. The Toronto District School Board, the largest in the country, had the second-highest number of incidents in 2023-24 at 410. Halton District School Board also appeared high in the statistics with 237. Story continues below advertisement Martha Hradowy, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, said those in classrooms had been noticing the increase for some time. 'Our members are reporting to us that the level of respect for teachers, for education workers, has seen a steady decline for the last number of years,' she said. Last year, an OSSTF survey of members came to the same conclusion. It found teachers were struggling with a surge of violent attacks, including biting, hitting and kicking, as well as students using furniture to harm staff. The survey included the anonymized accounts of high school teachers. 'For the first time in my years as an educator, I dreaded coming to work every day,' one is quoted as saying in the study. 'I was starting to have severe anxiety and heart palpitations…I have a lot of skills, a lot of training…but what it came down to was there were not enough supports to meet the needs of those children in the classroom.' Calls to increase funding Chandra said the number of violent incidents in Ontario's classrooms was ultimately an issue of funding — something she accused the government of shying away from. Story continues below advertisement 'It's about children whose needs are not being met,' she said. 'We have a mental health crisis in our schools, but we don't have enough mental health professionals, so kids are asking for help and then they're not getting any until the following school year. We're closing special education programs, and so EAs are running from one crisis to the next, after the crisis has already happened.' The Ministry of Education suggested a planned increased role for police in classrooms would help. 'The rise in school violence also coincides with the shortsighted decision of many school boards across the province, starting in 2017, to end School Resource Officer programs in schools,' the spokesperson said. 'This is why our government has introduced measures that will require school boards to work with police services to develop School Resource Officer and youth engagement programs that will help foster positive relationships between students and law enforcement while making schools safer.' Pasma said addressing the rate of violence in schools was about increasing support for children, and paying the cost of hiring more staff to do that. 'Parents and teachers know the solution to this is providing the supports,' she said. 'It's having the investments to have additional caring adults in our schools. And until we have that, unfortunately, we're going to see the crisis continue to worsen.'
CBC
08-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Parents fighting to save Algonquin College's special needs program
Social Sharing Eric Burgin had planned to send his daughter Angie to Algonquin College in Ottawa, where he'd hoped a program for adults with developmental disabilities could help put her on equal footing with her friends. "The biggest thing for her is the college experience," Burgin told CBC. "It's just sort of that next step after high school. She doesn't see herself as different than others, even though, you know, society tends to see her differently." Burgin said there's no other program in Ottawa like it. But his plan hit a snag in May when the school announced it plans to end the program by April 2026. Now, Bergin hopes to organize other concerned parents in an attempt to change the college's decision. He's organized a town hall hosted by Ottawa West-Nepean NDP MPP Chandra Pasma, scheduled for later this month, and is planning to hold a protest later this fall. "Ultimately, what we would like is for the college to reverse the decision and continue to offer the program," he said. College points to financial challenges Algonquin College's website says the academic assistance for adults with developmental disabilities program offers students the opportunity to further develop their academic skills, as well as build social skills within a college environment. In a statement to CBC, the college said it's winding down the program, which was first launched in 1997, to "focus on ministry-approved, credentialed programs that align with its core mandate." It also pointed to its recent financial challenges, which the college blames on a shift in immigration policy and a lack of funding support from the provincial government. In April, the college approved its budget with a $34.8-million deficit. In February, its board decided to suspend or cancel 37 programs and four dormant ones, and to close its Perth campus. 'It keeps parents up at night' Kate Dudley-Logue, vice-president of community outreach with the Ontario Autism Coalition, said the news of the program's cancellation has parents worried. "It keeps parents up at night," she told CBC. "It's giving those young adults with developmental disabilities a foundation ... to be able to maybe get a job, to be able to live independently." Dudley-Logue added that community day programs are another education option for adults with disabilities, but those lack the academic component available at the college. "It really puts up a wall for for what young adults with developmental disabilities might be able to achieve moving forward, not having access to a program like this," she said. In a letter posted to social media, Pasma, who is her party's education critic, called on the Ontario government to step in and fund the program. "The net cost of the program after tuition is $80,000 a year. This would be more than offset by cost savings to the province based on graduates' ability to participate in the workforce and to live with greater independence," she wrote.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CUPE National President Mark Hancock to Join WSIB Picket Line in Ottawa
OTTAWA, Ontario, June 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mark Hancock, National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), will join striking Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) workers on the picket line outside 1580 Merivale Road, Unit 500 in Ottawa on Thursday, June 26, between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. ET. Hancock's visit comes as more than 3,600 WSIB frontline staff continue a province-wide strike that has now stretched beyond two months — the first strike in the organization's 110-year history. The picket will take place in front of the constituency office of Ottawa West–Nepean MPP Chandra Pasma, as part of a broader effort to raise public and political awareness of the urgent need for leadership from WSIB decision-makers. Where: 1580 Merivale Road, Unit 500 (MPP Chandra Pasma's constituency office) Time Between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. "We're grateful to have CUPE National President Mark Hancock join us in Ottawa," said Harry Goslin, President of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750). "His support sends a powerful message — this deal should have been done weeks ago, and the delay lies squarely with WSIB leadership. What's missing is the mandate from the CEO and Board to bring this strike to a fair conclusion." Despite good-faith efforts and ongoing mediated talks, WSIB has refused to table a final offer. The union's bargaining team remains ready to reach a fair settlement — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "We're calling on the WSIB to pull out all the stops and get this done before Canada Day," said Goslin. "It's time to finish the deal — and restore stability for injured workers across Ontario." mb/cope491 View source version on Contacts For more information, please contact: Bill ChalupiakCUPE Communications Representativewchalupiak@ 416-707-1401
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
CUPE National President Mark Hancock to Join WSIB Picket Line in Ottawa
OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mark Hancock, National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), will join striking Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) workers on the picket line outside 1580 Merivale Road, Unit 500 in Ottawa on Thursday, June 26, between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. ET. Hancock's visit comes as more than 3,600 WSIB frontline staff continue a province-wide strike that has now stretched beyond two months — the first strike in the organization's 110-year history. The picket will take place in front of the constituency office of Ottawa West–Nepean MPP Chandra Pasma, as part of a broader effort to raise public and political awareness of the urgent need for leadership from WSIB decision-makers. Where: 1580 Merivale Road, Unit 500 (MPP Chandra Pasma's constituency office) Time Between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. 'We're grateful to have CUPE National President Mark Hancock join us in Ottawa,' said Harry Goslin, President of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750). 'His support sends a powerful message — this deal should have been done weeks ago, and the delay lies squarely with WSIB leadership. What's missing is the mandate from the CEO and Board to bring this strike to a fair conclusion.' Despite good-faith efforts and ongoing mediated talks, WSIB has refused to table a final offer. The union's bargaining team remains ready to reach a fair settlement — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 'We're calling on the WSIB to pull out all the stops and get this done before Canada Day,' said Goslin. 'It's time to finish the deal — and restore stability for injured workers across Ontario.' mb/cope491
