TORONTO — During Question Period today, Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky demanded that the Premier stop forcing students into classrooms that are sweltering in the summer, and freezing cold in the winter, by finally addressing Ontario’s school repair backlog in its entirety.
“Schools across the province are crumbling, and they have reached a tipping point. There is a $15 billion repair backlog, $3.4 billion in Toronto alone. Students and education workers have been in sweltering hot classrooms this summer, and they will have to wear winter jackets in the classroom this winter,” said Gretzky.
Recently, a school in Thames Valley was forced to close because of health concerns related to a lack of air conditioning, and a teacher in Toronto was forced to pay out of pocket to install an air conditioner because students were feeling faint. Gretzky went on to point out that cuts to education, and classroom closures, result in more and more teachers doing their jobs on carts rather than in classrooms.
“Ontario’s teachers are being forced to load French and music lessons onto carts and transport them from classroom to classroom because of Liberal cuts to education. The Premier can shake her head all she wants, but the boards are even speaking out. Will the Premier admit that her misplaced priorities are forcing our young people to pay the price?” asked Gretzky.