November 13, 2001 OPEN LETTER
Hon. Janet Ecker
Minister of Education
22nd Floor Mowat Block
900 Bay Street
Queen’s Park
M7A 1L2
Dear Minister,
As you know, our Provincial and Demonstration schools, which serve deaf, blind, deaf-blind and learning disabled children across Ontario, are under threat of divestment by the Ministry of Education to a “new governance model.” OPSEU represents the staff of these schools but has not been invited to be part of the process. Our
members are justifiably concerned.
All we know is that when this government downloads or privatizes public services, it is always a disaster. Walkerton should have been a warning for the government to leave our public services alone.
We also know that disabled people, children and public servants have been on this government’s hit list from day one. Now you have the Provincial and Demonstration Schools in your sights.
OPSEU members have some serious questions:
- How (if at all) will divestment benefit the children? What will happen to quality of their education? Will it suffer, as it has in public boards of education across Ontario due to the government’s unfair funding formula?
- How will funding and services be guaranteed once the schools are out of the Ministry’s hands? Who will be able to attend?
- Who will be the decision-makers on the board of the new organization(s)?
- What is the purpose of this process, if not to force someone else to make the cuts instead of the elected Minister?
I understand that your Ministry has made some attempts to influence parent groups in favour of the divestment plan. Since only 11 per cent of the parents returned your Ministry’s survey, you cannot possibly know whether the parents support the changes. But we have heard that many parents either fear the proposed changes or, in
some cases, have not been getting the information they need from you to make an informed decision.
Minister, these children are among the most vulnerable people in our society. They come to these schools from communities across Ontario and are therefore a provincial responsibility. I hope your Ministry will recognize this and cease all talk of divestment of these schools.
I would appreciate your personal and immediate attention to these serious concerns.
Sincerely,
Leah Casselman, President
Ontario Public Service Employees Union
cc: - Rosario Marchese, MPP, NDP Education Critic
- Gerard Kennedy, MPP, Liberal Education Critic
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