Ford Conservatives are Overselling Investments and Shortchanging Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
​April 20, 2023

QUEEN’S PARK – Following this morning’s press conference alongside Karen Littlewood, President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, and Ontario’s opposition parties, MPP John Fraser, Interim Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, has released the following statement:

“Once again, the Ford Conservatives are overselling their investments in education. They have no intention of meeting parents’ expectations or students’ needs in schools. The funding announced by the Ford Conservatives this week, including the Grants for Student Needs (GSNs), doesn’t come close to matching the rate of inflation and will continue to shortchange our students.

“Just as we’re experiencing in Ontario’s healthcare sector, our education system is facing widespread staffing shortages. This government’s announcement of 1,000 new teachers works out to just one teacher for every five schools in Ontario, while the province currently has 2,000 fewer teachers than it did in 2018.

“If you don’t properly invest to maintain something, it will start to break down; our education system is no different. By refusing to properly invest in our schools, the Ford Conservatives are leading our schools toward a crisis that will place the burden on students, parents, and educators.”