Latest news with #SupportingChildrenandStudentsAct
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Ontario education minister steps in to prevent erasure of Sir John A. Macdonald, Ryerson and Dundas from Toronto schools
The Toronto District School Board has been stopped from erasing the names of Sir John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and Henry Dundas from its schools. The new legislation, introduced by Ontario education minister, Paul Calandra, on May 29, will require a board to apply to the minister before changing the name of an existing school. If a board began using a new name on Jan. 1, 2025 or afterward, the law would still enable the minister to require a board to apply for approval. Then it will be open to the minister to approve or reject the new name. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The legislation, Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025 , takes aim at school board accountability, in particular financial mismanagement. 'I should be able to move quickly when it is very clear that a school board has lost its way. The legislation I introduced today, if passed, would allow me to do that,' Calandra posted on X. I should be able to move quickly when it is very clear that a school board has lost its way. The legislation I introduced today, if passed, would allow me to do that. The legislative basis for shutting down the TDSB effort is the prevention of boards from 'misspending dollars meant for education on wasteful things, such as the time and resources that the TDSB put into the renaming initiative,' says Allan Williams, executive director for the Canadian Institute for Historical Education (CIHE). 'The CIHE is very pleased with the draft legislation introduced by Minister Calandra yesterday that would give him the authority to prevent the misguided attempt by the TDSB to remove the names of Macdonald, Ryerson and Dundas from the three Toronto schools,' says Williams. 'We have been calling on the Ontario government to take the steps necessary to prevent or overturn the schools' renaming, so we're happy today and thank Minister Calandra. But draft legislation can take time to become law, so we urge him and the Ford government to move quickly on this.' Earlier this year, the CIHE called on Premier Doug Ford to intervene and prevent the TDSB from removing the three names. It also sent a representative to a meeting of the TDSB's Planning and Priorities Committee. Those efforts seemed to be for naught, as the board announced in late February that it was going ahead. Williams says the CIHE petition to stop the TDSB will stay online for signing until the proposed legislation is a done deal. Historian J.D.M. Stewart calls the government's move 'a rebuke of the TDSB and its flawed process for renaming these schools, a process that inexplicably did not include consultation with historians.' On a positive note, Stewart says, this is 'an opportunity to learn more about our history. The last several years have been filled with misinformation and misunderstanding.' The new legislation was hailed by education consultant Paul Bennett in a post on X. 'Historic School Names Saved in Toronto! Ontario Education Minister @PaulCalandra intervenes to halt erasure of John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and William Dundas from Toronto schools,' he wrote on Friday. Breaking News: Historic School Names Saved in Toronto! Ontario Education Minister @PaulCalandra intervenes to halt erasure of John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and William Dundas from Toronto schools. The @tdsb as been stripped of its powerto change the names. #cdned #ONTed The move came just two days after the Ontario government decided to remove the plywood box surrounding John A. Macdonald's statue at Queen's Park , restoring it to public view. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Legislation Will Burden Ontario's Universities with Equity Challenges and More Costly Red Tape
Toronto, ON, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) today responded to the provincial government's announcement of the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, which proposes increased 'oversight, accountability, and transparency for public school boards, postsecondary education, and children's aid societies.' While full details of the forthcoming legislation are still to be provided, OCUFA expresses significant concern about its potential impact on Ontario's publicly-funded world-class universities, particularly regarding financial oversight and efforts to promote equity. The legislation proposes to build upon directives introduced in Bill 166, the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024. OCUFA previously provided formal feedback on Bill 166, highlighting concerns about the lack of collaboration with university stakeholders, ambiguity in implementation, and a lack of clarity regarding expert consultations, especially on critical issues like mental health, hate, racism, and student affordability. The use of vague, open-ended language in such legislation risks misinterpretation and could invite political interference. Yesterday's announcement also revealed a proposal to introduce additional ministerial oversight over how ancillary fees are used at postsecondary institutions, and a requirement for detailed breakdowns of tuition fee revenue. OCUFA is also particularly troubled by language around admissions criteria, which appears to target initiatives aimed at increasing representation from equity-seeking groups. Again, we are concerned this could entail political interference. "We look forward to carefully reviewing the proposed legislation and welcome the opportunity to provide detailed feedback to this government on behalf of the over 18,000 faculty, academic librarians, and academic staff OCUFA proudly represents," stated Nigmendra Narain, President of OCUFA. "However, the prospect of yet more costly red-tape and additional distractions from the core mission of our publicly-funded universities is deeply disappointing. Rather than providing the necessary funding and support for Ontario's world-class universities to thrive, this government is introducing more bureaucracy. Instead of trying to run the university sector themselves, the Ontario Government should focus on the core issues plaguing our universities. The government can start with their responsibility to ensure universities have stable and necessary funding to provide high quality education to Ontario students." "We are disheartened by the continued attacks on the vital goals of Ontario's publicly-funded postsecondary institutions to create more inclusive campuses and expand opportunities for qualified students from equity-deserving groups," added Jenny Ahn, Executive Director of OCUFA. "All students must still meet the same required and rigorous academic requirements for admission, so it is crucial to understand that equity-based entry factors do not replace or diminish academic standards. In fact, fostering a more diverse and multicultural student population demonstrably promotes academic excellence, encourages an inclusive student experience, and cultivates a richer learning environment for students, staff, academic librarians and faculty." OCUFA emphasizes that truly strengthening Ontario's postsecondary sector requires genuine collaboration, stable funding, and a commitment to fostering inclusive excellence, not additional bureaucratic costs, hurdles or policies that undermine equity initiatives and academic excellence. Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents more than 18,000 professors and academic librarians in 30 faculty associations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at Contact: media@ CONTACT: Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations media@
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Should police officers be in Ontario schools? Province wants to revive controversial program with new legislation but not everyone agrees
The Ontario government plans to require public school boards to implement school resource officer programs in areas where they are offered by local police services, beginning in the 2025-26 school year. The proposal is part of the Supporting Children and Students Act, introduced May 29, which the Ministry of Education says aims to strengthen government oversight, accountability and transparency in public school boards, post-secondary education and children's aid societies. The legislation would also give the education minister enhanced powers to more easily put school boards under provincial supervision. School resource officers (SRO) have been a source of debate at school boards across the province, with critics raising concerns about negative impacts on racialized and marginalized students. In a news release , Police Association of Ontario president Mark Baxter said the organization endorses the government's initiative and looks forward to seeing the SRO program implemented, where available, at school boards provincewide. 'The school resource officer program plays a crucial role in fostering trust, safety and mentorship within our schools. Having experienced the positive influence of an SRO in my own life, I understand how impactful these programs can be for young people,' Baxter said. Ontario's largest educator union disagrees. Calling it an 'egregious overreach' the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) issued a statement opposing the plan. 'ETFO strongly opposes the Ford government's latest legislative proposal that grants the Minister of Education additional powers to more easily place elected school boards under supervision and that forces the presence of police officers in schools,' the union stated. ETFO described the bill as 'authoritarianism cloaked in the language of accountability,' saying the government is attempting to deflect blame, suppress dissenting voices and tighten political control over the public education system. The union added the proposed changes would transfer power from democratically elected trustees to Queen's Park, and would compel boards to reintroduce SRO programs 'despite their well-documented harm, particularly to Black, Indigenous, and other racialized students.' The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association also criticized the proposal, calling it an attempt to erode local decision-making and divert attention from broader issues in the education system. 'Mandating school resource officers (SROs) is yet another move that undermines local decision-making,' the union said in a statement. 'Over the last decade, many school boards have chosen to end SRO programs after listening to experts and the voices of students, particularly those from Indigenous, Black and other equity-deserving groups who often felt surveilled and unsafe by the presence of police in schools.' The union added that mandating the return of police to schools sends the message that marginalized voices do not matter and ignores evidence that these programs have failed to foster trust between police and students. SRO programs have faced scrutiny from critics provincewide. The Hamilton-Wentworth School Board (HWDSB), for example, scrapped its police liaison program by a 7-3 trustee vote in 2020. Alex Johnstone, HWDSB chair at the time, said the program made some students feel unsafe — even if most students were indifferent to the police presence. 'It is incumbent upon us to have a duty to act to ensure that we have a safe and supportive school for all students. 'Most students' is not good enough,' Johnstone said in 2020. The Toronto District School Board voted to end its SRO program in 2017 following community consultation that found a regular armed police presence in schools was particularly harmful to vulnerable students. The proposed legislation would also mandate public disclosure of expense claims made by school trustees and other key personnel, requiring school boards to post expenses to a public-facing website. The move follows a number of high-profile expense controversies at Ontario boards. Last fall, a Brantford-area Catholic school board garnered headlines after it spent $145,000 to send four trustees to Italy to buy pricey art for schools. A trustee implicated in the scandal later said they 'deeply regret the trip' and vowed to remedy the situation. A portion from each trustee's biweekly honorarium payment is being deducted to repay the trip expenses, the Hamilton Spectator reported last month. The province proposes requiring school boards to implement School Resource Officer (SRO) programs where they are offered by local police services starting in the next school year. Disclaimer: Reader survey results are not scientific. As the informal findings of a survey presented to the readers of this site, they reflect the opinions of those who have chosen to participate. The survey is available online to anyone interested in taking it. This poll does not restrict the number of votes each person can cast. — With files from Metroland, the Hamilton Spectator and the Toronto Star Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Education minister vows to fire Brant Catholic trustee
A Brant Catholic trustee who disobeyed orders to repay Italy trip funds could lose his seat. In April, Education Minister Paul Calandra demanded four Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board trustees who took a now-infamous trip to Europe to buy art for schools (flying business class and eating at a Michelin star restaurant) repay the nearly $50,000 they expensed. Three trustees confirmed they repaid their shares of $12,666 ahead of the May 23 deadline. 'I, along with Rick Petrella and Dan Dignard, have repaid in full,' trustee Bill Chopp told The Spectator in an email last Thursday. On the same day, Petrella corroborated, telling The Spec 'I have, along with Dan Dignard, and Bill Chopp, fully repaid all amounts related to travel expenses to the board, in full compliance with the minister's directive.' On Thursday, Calandra told Newstalk 1010 host Deb Hutton he will 'fire' the fourth, who only paid '$2,000' of his share, CTV reported. Trustee Mark Watson owed $12,370. When asked last week, neither he nor the school board would confirm if he repaid the full amount. As it stands, Calandra can't remove a trustee — who is elected by the public — from their seat. However, he told Hutton he plans to bring forward legislation that would enable him to 'vacate that trustee's seat,' CTV reported. The Spectator was unable to reach Watson by phone on Thursday for comment. When asked, the school board said it doesn't have anything to share at this time. After news of the trip broke, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady asked then-minister Jill Dunlop to call the four trustees and demand they resign. 'So, yes, I agree that this rogue trustee should be fired if he refuses to repay taxpayers the full amount of the Italian junket,' she told The Spectator Thursday. In a news conference earlier in the day, Calandra announced a Supporting Children and Students Act, which, if passed, would 'expand my authority as the minister of education for oversight and control of school board affairs,' he said. It would allow the ministry to intervene and put a school board under supervision without waiting for a recommendation from a third-party investigation, he said.
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Providing a Voice for the Electorate in Ontario's Education System
TORONTO, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ - In recent years, various factors have created pressures in the management and delivery of quality education in Ontario, at the same time Catholic school boards have remained committed to responsible stewardship and to advocating for the increase in funding and flexibility to address the various needs of students and families. The distinctive feature of Ontario's ever improving education system has been the involvement and recognition of parents, students, teachers, trustees, community partners and the electorate in the overall design and delivery of education. Catholic school trustees, like their French and public school trustee counterparts, bring a perspective to the role of school board governance that gives a voice to the community in areas like school naming and School Resource Officers, while understanding the importance of collaborating with the government and education partners to ensure adequate resourcing and funding to support student achievement. We look forward to examining the proposed legislation Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, and to contributing to the legislative process the distinctive perspective and experience of Ontario's Catholic school boards and the ratepayers they represent. The Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association is the provincial voice for publicly funded Catholic education. Founded in 1930, OCSTA represents the interests of Catholic school boards that collectively educate approximately 570,000 students in Ontario, from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. SOURCE Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association
