Latest news with #policeinschools
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Ontario education minister to get more school board powers
Ontario is set to give the minister of education power to more easily put school boards under supervision and require more boards to put police officers in schools. Siobhan Morris reports.
CBC
7 days ago
- General
- CBC
Ontario set to give education minister more power over school boards
Ontario is set to give the minister of education power to more easily put school boards under supervision and require more boards to put police officers in schools. CBC's Lorenda Reddekopp has the details.
National Post
29-05-2025
- General
- National Post
OSBCU Responds to New Education Legislation: 'Police in Schools Won't Fix an Understaffed, Underfunded System'
Article content TORONTO — Earlier today, the Ford government and Education Minister Paul Calandra introduced the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, which includes provisions to make it easier for the province to take control of local school boards and mandates School Resource Officers (SROs)—police—in schools. Article content Article content In response, the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) is sounding the alarm. 'This legislation does nothing to address the real crisis in Ontario education: chronic underfunding and critical understaffing,' said Joe Tigani, President of the OSBCU. 'Instead of investing in more frontline education workers to support students and reduce violence in schools, the government is choosing to bring police into classrooms—a failed, harmful experiment that puts Black, Indigenous, and other racialized students at greater risk.' Article content These legislative changes represent a direct attack on the democratic governance and autonomy of school boards, allowing the government to exert greater control over decisions that may seem minor—such as naming rights or ancillary fees—but which have real impacts on equity and support for students. Forcing boards to implement police presence in schools is another example of this overreach. Putting police in schools does nothing to address the root issue: the lack of supports for staff and students due to years of chronic underfunding. The funds earmarked for this ineffective and harmful initiative would be far better spent on hiring permanent, full-time education workers who are trained to support students. Article content 'Forcing the return of police into schools is a deeply regressive move that ignores the lived experiences of those most affected—particularly Black, Indigenous, and other racialized students,' said Jehan Bisnauth, Educational Assistant with the Durham District School Board and Equity Representative on the OSBCU Executive. 'The Ontario Human Rights Commission has made clear recommendations on creating safer, more inclusive schools, and this legislation disregards them entirely. Police in schools are not the answer to anything. Our students need trained, compassionate education workers—not officers—in their classrooms.' Article content Since 2018, the Ford government has shortchanged public education by over $12 billion in cumulative funding. In the current school year alone, boards are operating with a $2.3 billion shortfall due to inflation and enrollment outpacing funding. The results have been devastating: fewer supports, unmanageable workloads, and growing inequities in our schools for staff and students. Article content Today's legislation is the first introduced by Minister Calandra, and it sends a troubling message: rather than provide meaningful support, the government is choosing centralized control. When asked about governance, the Minister's response — 'everything is on the table'— reveals a willingness to further undermine public accountability of education and the role of democratically elected school board trustees. This is yet another example of the Ford government's total disregard for local democracy. Article content 'This is not about safety or respect—it's about power,' Tigani said. 'If this government was serious about tackling the real issues, it would be hiring thousands of new education workers, not giving the Minister more authoritarian powers.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
National Post
29-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Ontario to give education minister power to more easily take over school boards
Ontario is set to give the minister of education power to more easily put school boards under supervision and require more boards to put police officers in schools. Article content Article content The Canadian Press has learned that Education Minister Paul Calandra will introduce broad legislation today, following weeks of warnings to boards that he would implement tougher oversight. Article content Calandra announced in April that the province had taken control of one school board by appointing a supervisor due to financial 'mismanagement' and was launching financial investigations of three others, describing his actions as putting all boards 'on notice.' Article content The legislation is set to expand the reasons for initiating an investigation or putting a board under supervision beyond just financial ones, to include matters of public interest. Article content Article content Some school boards have such programs on a voluntary basis, while others ended their programs several years ago, after some students reported feeling uncomfortable or intimidated and some racialized communities raised concerns. Article content The government materials say having more school resource officers would 'help build relationships between youth and police, actively promote positive behaviour and create a culture of mutual respect.' Article content Article content The bill would also give the minister power to direct school boards to publicly post expenses of trustees, the director of education and others, and would give the minister power over school names when boards open new schools or want to change an existing name. Article content Article content The legislation also contains measures directed at the post-secondary system, including requiring post-secondary admissions policies to be merit-based and requiring colleges and universities to provide detailed breakdowns of how tuition fee revenue is used. Article content As well, the bill would allow the government to 'require transparency and increased oversight of ancillary fees at post-secondary institutions,' reminiscent of a court battle from the early days of the Doug Ford government. Article content Ford's government enacted its 'Student Choice Initiative' in 2019, which made some post-secondary fees optional, such as for student unions, but the province's top court struck it down. Article content This legislation instead lays the groundwork for the government to consult with the sector to decide which ancillary fees cover core services, and determine an opt-out mechanism. Article content Children's aid societies have also been under the Ford government microscope, with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services launching a review of them in the fall, and they, too, are subject to increased scrutiny in this bill. Article content The legislation would increase the government's oversight of certain financial decisions, to be 'outlined in future regulations.' Article content
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Ontario to give education minister power to more easily take over school boards
Education Minister Paul Calandra speaks during Question Period at Queen's Park in Toronto on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston TORONTO — Ontario is set to give the minister of education power to more easily put school boards under supervision and require more boards to put police officers in schools. The Canadian Press has learned that Education Minister Paul Calandra will introduce broad legislation today, following weeks of warnings to boards that he would implement tougher oversight. Calandra announced in April that the province had taken control of one school board by appointing a supervisor due to financial 'mismanagement' and was launching financial investigations of three others, describing his actions as putting all boards 'on notice.' The legislation is set to expand the reasons for initiating an investigation or putting a board under supervision beyond just financial ones, to include matters of public interest. In a news release set to be released later today, the government gives an example of 'board governance dysfunction that is preventing key decisions from being made.' As well, Ontario would require school boards to implement a School Resource Officer program if the local police service offers one. Some school boards have such programs on a voluntary basis, while others ended their programs several years ago, after some students reported feeling uncomfortable or intimidated and some racialized communities raised concerns. The government materials say having more school resource officers would 'help build relationships between youth and police, actively promote positive behaviour and create a culture of mutual respect.' The bill would also give the minister power to direct school boards to publicly post expenses of trustees, the director of education and others, and would give the minister power over school names when boards open new schools or want to change an existing name. The legislation also contains measures directed at the post-secondary system, including requiring post-secondary admissions policies to be merit-based and requiring colleges and universities to provide detailed breakdowns of how tuition fee revenue is used. As well, the bill would allow the government to 'require transparency and increased oversight of ancillary fees at post-secondary institutions,' reminiscent of a court battle from the early days of the Doug Ford government. Ford's government enacted its 'Student Choice Initiative' in 2019, which made some post-secondary fees optional, such as for student unions, but the province's top court struck it down. This legislation instead lays the groundwork for the government to consult with the sector to decide which ancillary fees cover core services, and determine an opt-out mechanism. Children's aid societies have also been under the Ford government microscope, with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services launching a review of them in the fall, and they, too, are subject to increased scrutiny in this bill. The legislation would increase the government's oversight of certain financial decisions, to be 'outlined in future regulations.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025. Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
