As students across the province head back to school — though not until Wednesday in Toronto — Education Minister Stephen Lecce said they should look forward to “the beginning of a return to a normal school experience” after the chaos of lockdowns and online learning because of“This new school year marks the beginning of a return to a normal school experience with students in classrooms, for the full school year, with the full school experience,” he said in a statement marking the first day of...
Lecce has said he would take any action to ensure kids remain in the classroom, and has not ruled out using back-to-work legislation if necessary. She said while the government is “touting the need for stability, for children to be in the classroom, yet in the same breath they are instilling fear in parents and students by villainizing unions and educators, saying our contract negotiations were going to cause disruptions to the school year before it had even begun.”
The government has offered CUPE workers who earn less than $40,000 a year a two per cent per year increase over four years, and those earning more a 1.25 per cent annual raise.Littlewood said education workers in her union earn about $45,000 a year, and “a 1 per cent or 1.25 wage increase is not going to cut it. Unsurprisingly, many school boards are now facing staffing shortages.”
In a memo to school boards sent out Friday, obtained by the Star, Lecce said that “students deserve a full return to normalcy in the classroom, for the entire school year. Child and youth experts, including the Children’s Health Coalition, recognize the importance of in-person schooling to students’ physical and mental well-being.”
'Lecce has said he would take any action to ensure kids remain in the classroom, and has not ruled out using back-to-work legislation if necessary.' HAPPY BELATED LABOUR DAY!!!
This headline is embarrassing.
What else does this bozo pledge? He has no idea what he is pledging. If you can bullshit I strongly advise you to become a politician. Now if you can lie, slander others and their families I strongly advise you to run for the Conservative Government.
Sflecce
Of course education workers will do their best to have a great start to the school year IN SPITE of a destructive Minister of Ed eho undermines and underfunds our schools and vilifies the workers. sflecce works against education.
there is no normal!! not with Conservatives and Liberal messing up Education first with funding cuts then with a no zero policy, and again with the funding cuts. Stephen Lecce pledges are worth mud. words as Edna Mod says.
Every single 'favourite memory' from my kids Grade 8 graduation was from Grade 6. The people who robbed and continue to try and rob kids of normalcy because they are paranoid, are vile human beings who only care about themselves.
God bless the Ford government.