Teachers' strikes continue to roil Ontario. The basic issue: Doug Ford wants to employ fewer teachers. After all, if you cut the payroll, you save money. To achieve those savings, Ford proposes to increase class sizes and mandate online learning. He has recently been handed a report on what Ontarians think of larger classes and mandated online learning. But he refuses to release the report. Martin Regg Cohn writes:
My Toronto Star colleague Kristin Rushowy has revealed the results of the latest government survey that Premier Doug Ford tried to keep secret. Bad enough that his Progressive Conservatives won’t tell us what we already know, what’s worse is that the premier keeps pretending he knows what’s best for our children.
The Fordians argued that increased class sizes made students more "resilient." But Ontarians aren't buying that argument. So, Education Minister Stephen Lecce backed down -- a bit:
Stephen Lecce has partly rolled back the cutbacks by saying high school classes will only rise from 22 to 25 students. (Bear in mind those are merely averages — caps on the maximum number of students are also disappearing under the Tories, leaving some classes with as many as 40 students.) Lecce has also halved the number of mandatory online courses for each student from four to two, but the plan will still be untried in North America and no less half-baked.
His compromise has been greeted with scorn. Ford, however, refuses to back down:
“I don’t go by some online poll,” Ford insisted this week when confronted with the results he refused to share.
Does that sound like anyone else you've heard of?
Image: Socialist Project
6 comments:
Teachers and nurses are always easy targets. Is that because they have traditionally been jobs for women?
Part of the problem is the factory assembly line, one size fits all approach to schools and hospitals. While we can apply all sorts of quantifying to education and medical care the numbers can fail at the individual level.
Precisely, Toby. People are not all the same. And it costs money to serve the individual needs of people.
.. My sister is a recently retired Education exemplar. Her 'retirement' took about 8 years as her experience in various senior roles was difficult to replace. We had lunch the other day at the St Lawrence Market and I asked if she knew anything about Stephen Lecce's 'experience' in Educating young people. I traced his 'pathway' in some detail.. as she's very familiar with Vaughn, Richmond Hill, Local, Provincial & Federal political ridings and politics as well as residential demographics. She sat there, listening as I explained Lecce's backtrail. She said nothing. She's very subtle. An ominous sign though. Being glib & with a talent for talking points and bluster is not going to save Stephen Lecce or Doug Ford if they make the mistake of being in a town hall or panel discussion and someone slides my sister into position to contribute & a massacre takes place with cameras & sound rolling. The proverbial 'You can run, but you can't hide' would then be in play. Lecce is well schooled in the art of 'bullying', as is Doug Ford et al. Its classic bullying currently.
It reminds me of Alicia Morton out west and stepping up where Department of Fisheries and Oceans is seemingly cowed by successive Conservative then Liberal Governments - Harper then Trudeau. The ongoing failure regarding the west coast wild fisheries. They must be allowed or encouraged to collapse, on behalf of the Mighty Dollar and Big Foreign Energy. But where my sister can advise or arm & lead a vast unified force of Educational warriors. Ms Morton has between 1 or 2 dozen coherent dedicated warriors and yet an unusual, even invisible support group that lerhaps cannot be counted.. yet its there.. always.
We see these situations.. no - 'opportunities'.. in my view.. to hammer the bullies, apathetic or pathetic 'Public Servants etc, the sold out political animals. When is the time to strike ? Just before dawn ?
What if a teacher ran in every single riding in Canada or provincially in every single riding ? With full suport ? What if a fisherman or a farmer or grocer did so ? And in each case had the backing of the local population who had nominated them for a four year term ? What if ?
Good questions, sal. Unfortunately, teachers and fishermen don't have the kinds of pedigrees political parties respect. Justin's experience as a teacher is seen as a weakness. His name, however, carries weight.
given Gordon, el gordo, Campbell advised Ford, what you are seeing is a repeat of what we saw in B.C. Same play book different province, same old shit. Eventually Ford will most likely legislate the teachers back to work. the teachers will in turn take the government to court and in the end the government will loose and wind up having to play catch up when the court rules.
Perhaps the people of Ontario will give things a think the next time they go to the ballot box. They may not have like Wynn and the Ontario Liberals, but right now, they sure look like they would have done a better job than Ford is doing.
THe attacks by Campbell and Clark on the education system did result in a lot of new "private schools" which I expect, given Campbell's advisory role is what they really want, rid of public schools and in with private schools. I'm sure DeVos will be happy to help.
Lately, Ford has been backing down, e.a.f. We'll see how all this ends.
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