I’d like to thank the member for his question. Don’t get me wrong; capital projects are absolutely important and needed, especially where there are communities that need schools. However, there’s also no money allocated in the budget for school repairs. Now, I can tell you, speaking as a representative from Toronto, we have many schools that are old, over 100 years old. The school repair backlog in this province is at over $16 billion. We have kids who go to school who need to wear a coat in the winter to learn. We have schools where kids can’t drink the water from the fountains because it has lead. We have kids who go to school and can’t use the washrooms because the door locks are broken. This is the state of many, many schools, and we need the government to invest in repairing the infrastructure so that kids are not learning in crumbling schools.

I thank the member for her comments. I appreciate the thoughts on school boards and a lot of the elements involved in this bill, but I want to comment that our government prioritizes growth and we’ve made significant progress in expanding educational infrastructure, including schools, teachers and child care facilities, to meet the growing needs of our communities. Our track record has been very positive. We’ve generated momentum and created opportunities for students and families in Ontario. This bill, if passed, will further promote growth and provide even more opportunities for students and families across the province.

My question to the member is, will you take these factors into consideration as you consider whether to support this legislation?

I asked this question this morning to the Conservative side, so I think it’s fair and reasonable to ask it to the NDP side: This bill states right in the title that it wants to achieve better outcomes for students. Right now in Niagara, 16 schools can’t operate their nutrition program. The program and the kids are going hungry because this government hasn’t increased funding as food prices skyrocket like in every other province in Canada.

Does the member think that hungry children perform well at school?

It’s an honour for me to rise and add the voices of the great people of London North Centre to debate on this bill that we have on the floor today, Bill 98, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act.

The first thing, like the member for Parkdale–High Park, that I would like to focus on is the title itself. The title, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, clearly puts students as secondary. They’re not even at the beginning of the title of this bill—and it’s not even about students; it’s about outcomes.

When you take a look at this bill, it’s very clear that the well-being of students in Ontario is not a concern for this government. Had that been a concern for this government, there would have been collaboration. There would have been communication. There would have been consultation with the people who know students best. Those include education staff, parents. But instead, we have not seen any consultation. We’ve seen that this government has bullied forward with this piece of legislation, and there will be consultation after the fact, which makes it a mere exercise for the actual democratic process.

This is also what some would say is a smoke-and-mirrors exercise for a government that refuses to properly fix or fund the education system. It’s hard for people in the province to trust this government. Since 2018, we have seen tremendous attacks and cuts on our schools. In 2018, there was the overt attack on the health and phys ed curriculum. We saw the government set up a snitch line. We saw a bogus consultation process, and we also see a shell game that they have enacted with privatization of education, quite frankly, making sure that private schools had the rapid COVID tests before our publicly funded schools.

So the public is really less likely to trust this government as being the protectors of public education, because they also decided to launch this legislation as a surprise attack on a Sunday.

ETFO correctly points out that this was the second time in two days that ETFO was caught off guard by Ministry of Education announcements, demonstrating clear lack of consideration and respect for education stakeholders. OSSTF’s Karen Littlewood said that this legislation “has very little in terms of supports or resources for students, despite its misleading title.... This legislation seems primarily focused on how school boards operate, and not how on we can better support students and make up for the learning loss experienced during the pandemic.”

This legislation, Speaker, sees students used as pawns.

Mental health shows up a total of four times in this bill, and it’s only in terms of policies and guidelines; it’s not in terms of actually making sure mental health supports are there for our students when and where they need them. Despite the claims of this government, it is not in the bill.

The Ontario Public School Boards Association, in the pre-budget consultations stated, “A continued increase in the number of school-based mental health professionals (social workers, psychologists, guidance councillors, child and youth workers, school mental health workers) to address the significant increase in the number and severity of students requiring support,” yet we don’t see the government funding this properly.

And from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, Barb Dobrowolski says, “Since coming to office in 2018, the government’s agenda has been gutted by ideology rather than evidence. Policy decisions have been made with little thought, foresight or genuine consultation with stakeholders and experts, the consequences of which have been to destabilize public services. Enough is enough.”

Barb also goes on to state, “misleading statements that government officials offer in public, like when they claim to be making historic investments in education while conveniently ignoring that funding does not keep up with inflation”—it’s shocking, Speaker. We see this very calculated, very concerted shell game. We hear the government claim that they’re making tremendous investment, but yet we actually see funding going down. We see that students are now receiving $1,200 less per year, per student, because of this government’s cuts.

We heard at the standing committee in the pre-budget consultations that this government is also trying to create a crisis in education. Everyone remembers back when John Snobelen was caught on a hot mike saying that they needed to create a crisis in education, and the same is true now. This bill purports to refocus Ontario’s education system, but we don’t need a refocus. We need to make sure that schools have the resources that they need. In the government’s own materials, they contradict themselves. They state that Ontario is among the top-performing education systems nationally and internationally, and then they go on to say that they want to overhaul the system. It’s disturbing, Speaker.

I also want to return to some of the focuses of this bill, because this bill does seem to focus—or the government will claim this bill focuses on trades and apprenticeships, when it doesn’t get pointed out in the bill frequently or at all, and remind this government that it was the Mike Harris government that ripped trades classes out of schools. They destroyed that program so that grade 7 and grade 8 students would have that experience of working with their hands, of understanding that this was a viable and very rewarding experience, to build, to create. And it was continued by the Liberals, because that was never returned to schools. That is a loss. Expecting students that are going to be exposed to this in high school—it’s too late; it’s too late, Speaker. Students often are faced with a choice. They choose arts or music or trades as one of their electives. It’s incredibly unfortunate.

But also, this government seems to undermine the very nature of what education is itself. I’d like to also consider that in the creation of Bill 98, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, this government has not even abided by the skills that students need in Ontario’s classrooms. We hear a lot about leadership, about collaboration, about communication and critical thinking, and this government has displayed none of those things. They have not communicated. They have not collaborated. They haven’t even shown critical thinking by talking to the very experts in education. Instead, they’re bulldozing forward with their plan.

David Moscrop from TVO says that the government is hoping to “reshape the province’s education plan, gearing it toward ideas that are more reminiscent of plans for an early 20th-century ... factory than a contemporary society.” He also goes on to talk about the immortal poet William Butler Yeats, who is frequently cited in education circles, who stated that education was not the act of filling a bucket, but of lighting a fire. It’s about inspiration. It is about showing students what is possible. It is about igniting curiosity and showing them the skills that they have. As a former educator myself—a teacher librarian, in fact—I could see the difference: When you could get the right book into a student’s hand, it would change their life.

It’s just incredibly shocking that this government is bulldozing ahead with this without any real consultation, any real collaboration. They simply don’t understand what’s necessary.

The members from Niagara Falls and from St. Catharines have talked about the students going hungry because of this government not funding school nutrition programs. We’ve seen it in the London area as well. In London and Middlesex county, there’s a program, the Ontario Student Nutrition Program, which feeds 25,000 students at 89 schools weekly. They’ve seen an overall increase of 900 students and four schools over the previous academic year. Not only that, Danielle Findlay, who’s one of the organizers of the program, pegs the cost of a healthy snack around $2.50 per student. Do you know what the province pays, Speaker? Just 75 cents.

Just to conclude, I want to again, in the brief time I have, return to the words of David Moscrop, who says, “The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act should be thrown into the wastebin and forgotten, and the government should take its boot off the neck of local school boards. If the government wishes to improve education, it can spend more on teachers and reduce class sizes. That’s a fine way to make space for learning that will pay all sorts of dividends to a free and democratic society.”

Speaker, this ham-handed, lacklustre, ineffective way of addressing the crisis in our education system is shown in Bill 98. We need more mental health care workers in schools. We need to address violence in schools. For heaven’s sake, Speaker, Bill 98 does not mention violence once, and we know it is something that is happening everywhere.

It’s time for this government to put on its big-boy pants, and to do the right thing and fund education properly.

Thank you to my colleague from Niagara Falls for his question. I have to say, the member has been such a strong advocate for the students, the teachers and education workers and the school community of Niagara Falls, so thank you for your work on that.

To answer his question, absolutely not. When kids go hungry, they are not going to be able to learn but they’re not going to be able to do anything, because that is all that the student physically—and it has an impact mentally as well. It’s going to overtake them, in terms of the need for the students. It’s so important, and we have to take a number of different measures, from ensuring that school nutrition programs are well funded and run and in place in every school for every student that needs them, but also that the families are not living in poverty, that they’re not being—not only where the cost of living is increasing, but prices of basic things like groceries are being gouged. Rents are through the roof. On so many fronts, it has been so difficult to keep a roof over your head, to feed your children, and now, with the government taking away student nutrition funding, you are not going to get better outcomes—

Very quickly: The vast majority of teachers in this province are outstanding, but there are always a few bad apples in the barrel. We think that there should be accountability. So my question to the member is, does she believe there should be accountability?

Thank you.

Further questions?

Madam Speaker, I’d like to thank my colleague from London North Centre for his contribution to today’s debate. The member mentioned failures around the ways this bill addresses consultation of students, labour and stakeholders. My question is this: What are some of the proper and ethical ways consultation can look like to you?

In my time as an educator, I remember when we would hear over the PA system a code yellow. A code yellow is when the teachers are meant to lock their doors because there is a threat in the hallway. Then, what every student in those classes would hear is a child being dragged from the school, kicking and screaming and swearing and yelling. It was not that child’s fault. That child was clearly not getting the assistance they needed. However, it affected everyone in the school.

Schools are places where there should be a social worker who can deal with folks. Kids need help, and we need to make sure they get it when and where they need it. Part of that solution is in schools. For this government to wash its hands and to claim that there are going to be services in the community is yet another finger-pointing exercise where this government does not want to fund education properly.

Yesterday, the member from Burlington talked about all of the mental health care workers in school. I would suggest to the associate minister that they talk to their own member, and make sure that they get that clarity of message and actually deliver what they promise.

But the government can also travel and discuss with relevant stakeholders. In fact, we discussed the pre-budget submissions with the government. The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs travelled the province. We heard from many education stakeholders who talked about the violence in the classroom. They talked about the cuts in funding that have been experienced under this Ford government.

Quite frankly, it’s disturbing to see how this government has turned a blind eye to all of the cuts they have made, all while patting themselves on the back for the shell game of federal funding in the form of child care, as the member from Parkdale–High Park has pointed out. It’s really disturbing that this government has really shortchanged Ontario families and Ontario students. Students are worth it. Education is an investment, not a cost.

But what I want to get into this government’s ear—and I want them to listen to it, and I would hope that they understand, Speaker—is the problem with the funding formula. The funding formula in this province distributes money as if students are the same. It’s a cookie-cutter model whereby they all receive the same amount of money, and then purses of money are given to school boards with the hope that they’re going to be spent on special education. Even if they are spent on a student, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be spent in a developmentally appropriate way. There are no guarantees.

The NDP has long advocated for an overhaul of the funding formula, such that this government does the right thing, is accountable, is responsible and makes sure that that funding gets out the door to that student, who needs it, in a way that is appropriate. That’s on the government.

In terms of mental health funding, OECTA has pointed out that in the 2022-23 GSN documents, they “indicate a $38-million increase in the Mental Health and Well-Being Grant over the previous year’s total,” but that figure, as they state, “is deceptive. In reality, $25 million (or 65%) of this increase is not new funding—the government has simply moved into the GSNs monies that had previously been allocated under Priorities and Partnership Funding....”

Again, we see this government taking credit for other people’s money or pretending old money is new money. It’s a shell game. It’s deceptive. It’s not fair to students. I urge the government to actually listen to the Auditor General and the Financial Accountability Office—

Questions?

Thank you to my colleague for his comments on the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act. He was referring to having the proper books and the proper curriculum for our students, and I couldn’t agree more, Speaker. I know our government is really taking a serious look at that in updating the curriculum. Under the previous Liberal government, unfortunately, they chose not to do that, and so when our government formed our first government in 2018, I know our Minister of Education made that a top priority.

And so we are now legislating this review of curriculum, implementing a mandatory curriculum review process: no fewer than three years, no matter who the government is, no matter who the minister is. Does the member opposite support that, and will they support this bill?

Thank you for the comments that you made. I have a question for you with respect to mental health and addictions. Do you believe that treatment should be taking place in the schools? If not in the schools, should it be taking place in the community?

This government put forward $425 million to be spent on mental health and addictions, to address the issues of mental health, not just of adults but also of children and youth. How do you feel about that? Should we be spending more time, more energy and more money in the school system to provide these treatments, or should the treatments be taking place in the community, where they should properly be taken care of?

Further questions?

As I said earlier, and I’ll say again, the vast majority of teachers in this province are excellent and awesome and do a great job. I want to call out especially the fantastic teachers at école Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Amherstburg, Ontario.

As we all know, there are always a few bad apples in the barrel. Part of this bill increases accountability. We in the PC caucus believe that accountability for the education system is very important, particularly since it’s paid for by the parents in this province. So we think accountability for teachers is important, especially to maintain the professionalism of the profession of teaching, and also for the protection of children. Why doesn’t the NDP agree?

To the member from Essex: I can absolutely agree that Ontario has excellent educators who are dedicated to student and understand the students’ needs. It’s unfortunate that in the creation of this legislation this government completely ignored the voices of the professionals, of the people who are on the front lines. We see this time and again. We see that this government ignored health care workers when they created Bill 124. We see that they’re ignoring education workers and education staff when they created Bill 98.

What also concerns me, Speaker, is that this could just be a smokescreen for yet another land grab. We’ve seen this happen before, in Bill 23, which is a way to monetize the greenbelt for only certain folks. We see, in Bill 69, the Reducing Inefficiencies Act, the government also grabbing hold of real estate rights. And we see it yet again in Bill 98. This is a government that thinks “father knows best,” and they want to dictate to everyone how they should operate.

We’ve seen in Ontario’s classrooms how educational assistants are provided to schools in a way that makes no sense. First of all, the money that the government gives to school boards for special education, the school board has to also add to that tens of millions of dollars. Frequently educational assistants will often be shared—

I’d like to begin my remarks by thanking Ontario’s Minister of Education and, of course, the parliamentary assistant to the minister for all the work that they’ve put into improving public education for hard-working families across the province.

I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to speak in support of this proposed legislation. Some of my colleagues across from the government benches will know that for a period of time I was the education critic for the official opposition during Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government. I enjoyed that period of time because there was lots to criticize, lots to offer suggestions about, some of which have found their way into the bill that we’re debating today. That’s a good thing. That’s a very positive thing going forward.

After more than a decade and a half of the previous Liberal government, which closed over 600 schools—just stay with that figure; 600 schools—across our great province, and as part of closing those schools, one of the things they didn’t do is consult with the communities. Our deputy House leader is agreeing with that because she knows that. She was at Queen’s Park then. We know that there wasn’t a level of consultation—not one level—with hard-working families across the province on the closing of 600 schools and the effect of that on their local economies. Can you believe that? But that’s what happened.

There’s a difference with this government, isn’t there? There’s a difference with this government because we’re listening to parents and we’re investing $15 billion over 10 years to build new schools, some of which are in my riding; improve existing educational facilities; and, important for hard-working families, create new child care spaces.

I also commend the Minister of Education for taking action to ensure that Ontario schools like Willows Walk—and you’ll know where that is in Whitby; that’s just a little bit east of Anderson Street in Whitby—and Father Leo J. Austin in Whitby are safe and welcoming learning centres, as they should be for all students, and for updating the curriculum so it does a better job of matching to the needs of the modern economy and labour market.

But what does that mean, exactly? Well, it means more math, more science and a greater emphasis on lucrative and dignified careers in the skilled trades. I’m proud of this minister and this government for driving transformational change in public education. There’s no question, absolutely no question that this government is delivering for hard-working families in Whitby and across the province. Millions of dollars have been invested in Whitby to construct or refurbish new schools.

But there’s only so much you can accomplish without comprehensive and effective reforms. If passed, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023, would legislate reforms under four statutes: the Education Act, the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Early Childhood Educators Act and the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. This bill includes a number of critically important reforms, and we’re debating them today because parents and taxpayers deserve greater transparency and accountability and young people deserve better academic outcomes.

Speaker, our legislation is increasing accountability by giving parents new tools to navigate and understand the education system while establishing basic qualifications for directors of education. Additionally, the minister will now be able to establish key priorities to ensure students have the skills and knowledge they need, especially in areas such as reading, writing and math.

Our government’s legislation will enact over 20 key recommendations across five themed categories, including accountability and transparency; governance and leadership; maximizing capital assets; teacher training and oversight; and consistent information and approaches to student learning. You’ll know, Speaker, from your own practical experience before coming to Queen’s Park, the importance of all of what I just stated, understanding the impacts of these changes.

While the parents in Whitby are understandably interested primarily in how this bill will improve their children’s education at the grassroots level, I’d like to take some time to discuss some of the improvements our bill will make to governance and leadership within school boards.

Excuse me, Speaker. I’m just going to take a little bit of water.

I think we can all agree, particularly on this side of the House, and my members over there as well—

Their own member said that money given to school boards is not divided appropriately. He knows that the Ministry of Education provides money to the school boards and they divide it based on priorities. He was also an educator so I imagine he would know this. He also claimed a few other things in his speech. Some of the things he claimed in his speech actually addressed section 7. I want to ask him, did he read section 7? Does he support at least section 7 of the bill, or had he not looked into the actual clauses of section 7 of the bill?

Further questions?

I was coming there.

I think we can all agree that disputes among school board trustees are costly and time-consuming. I think we’ve seen examples of that across the province, haven’t we? They erode public confidence and deflect attention away from their primary duties of promoting student achievement. Moreover, considering that approximately 700 trustees provide governance over a high-profile, high-impact $27-billion education system, it’s a little surprising to hear that trustees lack a consistent set of qualifications, training and, importantly, even a standard code of conduct.

Elected trustees perform an incredibly valuable service to parents and taxpayers by holding school boards accountable and ensuring that tax dollars are well spent. For that reason, we need to ensure that all trustees within the province of Ontario have the knowledge and skills required to perform their duties and that their conduct is held to provincial standards.

The vast majority of elected trustees are diligent, dedicated and altruistic public servants who care about education and the people they serve. But in recent years, the media has reported numerous incidents of trustees who treated parents less than respectfully and even said things that were completely unacceptable.

To quote from the 1994 Royal Commission on Learning that was established by Bob Rae’s NDP government and co-chaired by a former federal Liberal cabinet minister—I’m going to interrupt the quote, Speaker, by saying I move that the question now be put.