This past Friday, Ontario’s education minister, Lisa Thompson, outlined a new vision for education in Ontario.
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli believes her vision — ‘Education that Works for You’ — is about getting Ontario students the skills they need to build their lives and careers right here in Ontario. And it does that while protecting education for generations to come by cracking down on waste in the system.
"As your local Member of Provincial Parliament, let me update you on this exciting news and what it means for us here in Nipissing," Finance Minister and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli stated in a release.
"When our PC government took office, we were determined to build our reform agenda on a simple principle: respecting parents.
"We launched a consultation to listen to parents, employers, teachers, and all Ontarians about the education system. We got great feedback. Ontario families want more job skills and life skills for our kids."
Fedeli insists this new vision for education will deliver.
"We’re getting back to basics on math, so that kids can build advanced skills on a solid foundation. We’re investing $200 million over four years to get it done, so we can finally clean up the Liberals’ math mess," he said.
"We’re introducing mandatory financial literacy curriculum. Kids need the skills to understand finances, especially before they head off to careers, college, or university. And we’re introducing an age-appropriate health and physical education curriculum, including sex-ed. We’re putting the focus where it belongs: on protecting students at a vulnerable time in their lives.
"From online safety, to the risks of concussions and the importance of self-esteem and healthy body image, we are going to help keep your kids safe."
Fedleli believes they inherited an education system that prioritizes university while ignoring colleges and looking down on the trades.
"We’re going to ensure kids in elementary and high school see the value of a career in the trades," he said.
"Let me also address another part of Minister Thompson’s plan: class sizes. On this point — like every other part of the curriculum — Thompson listened. Her class size strategy proposes no change whatsoever from kindergarten to grade 3. One more student per class in grades 4-8. And in high school, she’s going to align class sizes with other jurisdictions in Canada, but keep them well under 30 kids per class."
Fedeli highlights some other important changes too, including reforming the EQAO standardized tests that stress out parents, teachers, and students.
"As Minister Thompson said in her speech last Friday, we’re going to work with parents, teachers, and the education sector to get these reforms right and implement them responsibly. And we’re clear: no one gets a veto over these changes.
"When Premier Ford and our PC team took office, Ontario’s education system was failing our kids. It was riddled with wasteful spending. It was fundamentally broken."
