Ontario Liberal Leader joins Bay of Quinte candidate to talk education

The Ontario Liberal Candidate for the Bay of Quinte riding teamed up with her party leader to discuss education Monday morning.

Emilie Leneveu and Steven Del Duca held a virtual media announcement, called the Ontario Education Recovery Plan.

In it, Leneveu and Del Duca discussed a return to class in September, smaller class sizes, improved ventilation, and supporting students with special needs and mental health challenges.

“Every dollar we invest in education returns $1.30 to the economy. That means investing in education now, is investing in a strong economy tomorrow.”

For the Bay of Quinte riding, highlights included hiring 130 new educators, 13 new mental health professionals, 60 new special education workers, and the cancellation of the 2022 EQAO.

Del Duca says 20 students in a class has to be a hard cap.

“Emilie mentioned this in her opening remarks. That is the kind of in-person instruction and attention that our teachers and others who work in our classrooms can provide to our kids, which will help set our kids up for success.”

Special Education for 5,000 workers, or about one new staff member per school, would be hired across the province, according to the plan. Del Duca added that mental health is a major component part of their plan.

“One thousand new mental health professionals would be available across the province to go into our schools, into our classrooms and help our kids recover, or at least deal constructively with the challenges that they are facing.”

The full video of Del Duca and Leneveu is available below. A written release is below the video

Ontario Liberals are committed to reversing Doug Ford’s cuts to public education and putting our kids at the centre of the economic recovery. The Ontario Liberal Education Recovery Plan would invest in a safe September featuring smaller class sizes, better ventilation in classrooms and much more support for kids with special needs and mental health challenges.

“The best place for our children to learn is in a safe classroom, receiving top-notch, face-to-face instruction from educators in Bay of Quinte and across Ontario,” said Ontario Liberal Leader, Steven Del Duca. “As Premier, I would deliver a return to school that gives parents the peace of mind they need to send their kids back, while providing temporary virtual learning for those who still have concerns.”

For every dollar we spend on public education, $1.30 is returned to the economy. The Ontario Liberal plan is a direct investment in our economic recovery that will pay for itself through increased tax revenues for the province.

“It’s time we reverse Doug Ford’s cuts, end the chaos and get our publicly funded education system back on track,” added Del Duca. “Ontario Liberals are investing in a better, stronger future.”

The Ontario Liberal Education Recovery Plan would:

Invest in 130 new educators in Bay of Quinte to allow for capping all class sizes at 20 students, to ensure that dedicated teaching time and direct student-teacher support gets learning back on track.
Invest in 13 new mental health professionals in Bay of Quinte to provide counselling and support to students that are struggling with their mental health.
Ensure students with special needs have the direct support they need by investing in 60 new special education workers in Bay of Quinte.
Take the time needed to fully understand the learning gaps caused by revolving closures and online learning, and cancel the 2022 EQAO while those gaps are being assessed.
Provide subsidies for 100,000 Ontario kids who need financial assistance to attend summer camps or programming.