SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Hon. Mike Harris

  • MPP
  • Member of Provincial Parliament
  • Kitchener—Conestoga
  • Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
  • Ontario
  • Unit 3 & 4 63 Arthur St. S Elmira, ON N3B 2M6 Mike.Harrisco@pc.ola.org
  • tel: 519-669-2090
  • fax: 519-669-0476
  • Mike.Harris@pc.ola.org

  • Government Page
  • Apr/19/23 1:40:00 p.m.
  • Re: Bill 98 

It’s a great question. I know many of us, obviously, are parents here. I think there’s some room for improvement. Certainly, our educators do a fantastic job, but there’s always room to improve.

When I look at the breakdown of my children, I have two in high school, one who’s going into middle school next year and then two more in primary grades. It’s very interesting to see the level of engagement with their teachers and educators but more so with the way that the boards administer each of the schools.

I know I talked a lot about it in my remarks, but I’m really starting to see some streamlining and making the boards accountable for what they’re doing and how they’re planning things out within the different schools, certainly within our school board at Waterloo Region District School Board. I’m very excited to see that the accountability piece is going to be there, because I think that’s the piece that’s really lacking. A lot of parents want to see the board being accountable and want it to be transparent so they can see what their children are being taught and where that money that we are investing is being spent.

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  • Apr/19/23 1:30:00 p.m.
  • Re: Bill 98 

Thank you very much. Listen, that’s what is actually enshrined in this bill. We’re upping Grants for Student Needs by $700 million. We’re putting $15 billion into capital projects. And we’re hiring more teachers with specializations to be able to teach these classes.

We look at the ideology that was perpetrated by the previous Liberal government that closed these programs, and, quite frankly, in a minority government, it was support by the NDP. I do find it a little bit strange that they would stand up and pontificate on those types of things when it is this Conservative government that is actually making the necessary investments, that is working with our schools and our school boards to make sure that we are hiring qualified teachers to teach these programs and to make sure that we have the ability to have the spaces for these in our schools.

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