Tag Archives: Public School Board

Ontario Greens list merging public & seperate schools as spring session priority

 

Being 'pitched' again- The Green Party of Ontario believe that by merging Ontario's Catholic-Separate school board system with Ontario's Public school board system (ie: a single school for all students) the province would save $1,200,000,000 per year. CP
Being ‘pitched’ again- The Green Party of Ontario believe that by merging Ontario’s Catholic-Separate school board system with Ontario’s Public school board system (ie: a single school for all students) the province would save $1,200,000,000 per year. CP

Queen’s Park – Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is calling on the status quo parties to stop playing political games and
focus on getting Ontario’s economy moving again while protecting the people and places we love.

Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner
Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner

 

“It is essential that political leaders put the public interest before their political self-interest,” says Schreiner. “Ontario needs an honest debate about making our schools fair and fiscally responsible, halting the record loss of farmland, and reversing the lack of concrete support for small businesses to create jobs.”

The Green Party urges the three other parties to seek solutions to the issues facing Ontario today that will last beyond the
next election.

Schreiner put forward the Green Party’s policy priorities for the spring session:

* A jobs plan that cuts taxes for small businesses by doubling the exemption level for the Employer Health Tax
* Permanent protection for prime farmland and source water, and
* Improving our kids’ education by merging the school boards into one public system with French and English boards to save $1.2 billion each year

“We need to tackle the tough challenges now. Ontario desperately needs new ideas to foster job creation and to protect the people and places we love,” says Schreiner. “The Green Party will continue to hold the government answerable to the people of Ontario.” For the Silo, Becky Smit.

Green Party- merging public & separate school systems would save Ontario $1,300,000,000 pr year

Delegates at yesterdays Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario general meeting in Toronto- voted in favour of funding secular (non-religious) schools image:ETFO/The Silo

KITCHENER-WATERLOO – Green Party of Ontario candidate Dr. Stacey Danckert was joined by Leader Mike Schreiner in Kitchener to outline the Green Party’s plan to strengthen Ontario’s school system by ending wasteful duplication in the public and Catholic boards.
“With the issue of school cuts dominating these by-elections, the choice for voters is clear,” says Schreiner. “Prioritize high-quality education for all children or protect the interests that want special funding for one religion at the exclusion of all others. Only the Green Party will fight to improve our children’s education with a fair and equitable school system.”
At the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) general meeting in Toronto yesterday members voted in favour of a motion that would see public funding of public education in Ontario be limited to secular [ non-religious-based CP ] schools. Only the GPO is calling for a public commission to study merging the Catholic and public systems.
Ontario is the only province that provides full public funding for a single faith while providing no funding for other faith-based schools. As a result the UN Human Rights Committee has censured Canada in 1999 and 2005 for the discrimination in Ontario’s school system. “McGuinty has repeatedly slammed the door on talking about this issue. Instead he continues to ram the Liberals’ political agenda down the throats of parents and teachers,” continued Schreiner. “Ourchildren deserve a fair and equitable system regardless of their faith or sexual orientation.”
Recently Catholic Schools have come under fire for discouraging Gay Straight Alliances, student-run clubs that promote tolerance for diversity. “The McGuinty Liberals are quick to place the burden on teachers and have failed to recognize how wasteful our system is,” added Danckert.
A study prepared by William J. Phillips, Past-President of The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods of Ontario Inc. estimates savings from merging the school boards of $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion per year. “It’s time to demand a better solution for our children and this province’s future,” added Dancket. “As your first Green MPP in Queen’s Park I will not let the other parties evade this issue any longer.” For the Silo by Green Party of Ontario PO Box 1132 Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8

Ont. Greens: End Biased School Funding Based On Religion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GREEN PARTY OF ONTARIO ADDRESSES INEQUITY IN PUBLICLY FUNDED SCHOOLS

TORONTO, ONTARIO – The Green Party of Ontario today called for a Citizen’s Assembly to address the transition to a single school system (French and English), a move which several other provinces have made
over the past decade.

“Greens believe in a fair, equitable, and financially responsible school system that enriches learning for all students. All Ontarian’s fund our school system, and it is government’s job to ensure that the public has a voice in how that money is spent.” said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.

Currently both Public and Catholic boards are funded per student from the same public fund. Canada ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on May 19th, 1976, with the consent of all provinces, including Ontario. In November 1999 and again in November 2005 the same committee censured Canada again for failing to ‘adopt steps in order to eliminate discrimination on the basis of religion in the funding of schools in Ontario.’

“Our current system operates under a constitutional privilege that dates back to when women were not permitted to vote,” explains Justin Trottier, Green Party candidate for Parkdale High Park. “Other provinces, like Quebec, have achieved a bilateral agreement with the Federal government to unify their school boards so that no particular faith is being funded by the province.”

Recently the issue of inequality in our school system has been underscored by Catholic school boards openly denying students the freedom to form Gay Straight Alliances to create more inclusive environments for students and staff.

“Ontarians pride themselves on their diversity,” said Toronto Centre candidate and LGBT rights activist Mark Daye.”Our education system needs to reflect that.”

The Green Party of Ontario believes that our education system must be fair, equitable and efficient for all students, teachers and families. The Green Party is the only party with a plan to allow Ontarians to address equality in our school system, by moving towards one publicly funded school system, in French and English.

GREEN MPPS WILL:

* Call for a citizen’s assembly to review moving to one publicly funded French and English school system to study and offer recommendations on the constitutional, procedural and logistical issues relating to a single public school system in Ontario. The citizens assembly will provide an opportunity for all Ontarians to comment on and participate in this important discussion. Citizen input is essential to help determine the best way forward.

FACTS:

* Under the Constitution Act of 1982, Constitutional change in an area of provincial jurisdiction (such as education) can be accomplished through bilateral agreement between the province and the Parliament of Canada alone. Ten post-1982 amendments have been made to the Constitution, five of which concern denomination education rights. Quebec and Newfoundland once had denominational school systems. Both provinces modernized their school systems in the 1990s.

* Ontario’s school boards are publicly funded according to the province’s ‘funding formula’, which is based primarily on student enrolment. Municipal ‘school support’ designations have no effect on the amount of funding a board receives. Catholic taxpayers are not the sole supporters of Catholic schools. All taxpayers support all schools.

* Canada ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on May 19th, 1976, with the consent of all provinces, including Ontario. In November 1999, the United Nations Human Rights Committee found Canada in violation of the equality provisions of that Covenant by virtue of Ontario’s discriminatory school system. In November 2005 the same Committee censured Canada again for failing to ‘adopt steps in order to eliminate discrimination on the basis of religion in the funding of schools in Ontario.’

* Source 2005:
The State party should adopt steps in order to eliminate discrimination on the basis of religion in the funding of schools in Ontario.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rebecca Harrison
Director of Communications
Green Party of Ontario
rebeccaharrison@gpo.ca
905-999-5479 Sent from Green Party of Ontario

PO Box 1132
Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8
Canada

Links:
——
[1] rebeccaharrison@gpo.ca
[2] Silo Direct Link To Green Party of Ontario Press Page