The Ford government is making headlines for investing close to a billion dollars in new schools this season. However, critics are quick to point out the neglect of the repair needs of the aging existing school infrastructure in Ontario.
With issues ranging from leaky roofs to malfunctioning boilers, the price tag for addressing the maintenance backlog in Ontario schools has reached a staggering $16 billion, with Toronto alone accounting for $4.5 billion of that total. Despite the pressing repair needs, the government is celebrating the construction of 25 new schools and 16 school expansions slated to open this autumn.
NDP MPP Education Critic Chandra Pasma criticized the government’s focus on new constructions while overlooking the substantial repair backlog. The government’s investment of $889 million into building new and refurbished schools, including six in Toronto, is aimed at creating nearly 18,000 student spaces and close to 1,700 child care spaces to accommodate growing communities.
However, critics like Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario President David Mastin argue that the spending on new schools is overshadowed by the neglect of addressing the crumbling infrastructure in existing schools. They express concerns about the impact of funding cuts on education quality, such as large class sizes, teacher shortages, insufficient mental health support, and cuts to special education programs, which are contributing to a growing crisis of violence in schools.
Despite the pushback, the government highlights its total investment of $30.3 billion in education funding this year as a record amount. Critics, on the other hand, point out that when adjusted for inflation, the funding per student is lower this year than in 2018, resulting in a total shortfall of $6.3 billion.
In response to the mounting repair backlog, the government has committed to allocating $1.3 billion annually to school capital funding. Additionally, they have appointed supervisors to oversee five school boards, including the Toronto District School Board, to tackle concerns related to increasing deficits and financial mismanagement.
Keyphrase: Ontario school repairs