Conservatives' “Core Education Funding” Model Yet Another Deliberate Education Cut Disguised with New Name

QUEEN’S PARK — MPP Chandra Pasma, Official Opposition NDP Critic for Education, released the following statement regarding Doug Ford's Conservatives' education funding announcement:

"For six straight years, education funding has failed to keep pace with inflation under this Conservative government's watch. This chronic underfunding, to the tune of $2.7 billion, has left our education system facing significant challenges: larger class sizes, teacher and education worker shortages, and a worsening crisis in mental health and violence.

"Now today, we learn that even as our schools are in crisis, Ford is once again providing annual funding that falls below the rate of inflation and enrollment growth. Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce shouldn't balance their books at the expense of our kids. Students deserve the necessary support to succeed.

“While additional supports for reading and math are welcome, they are meaningless if children don’t have teachers. Right now, specialized teachers are being pulled from their assignments to cover classrooms.

"We need to see an education plan that respects our hardworking teachers, education workers, and principals who allow our schools to function everyday. That means addressing our staff shortages, the lack of mental health support, and the increasing challenge of violence."

Key Facts:

• Since 2018, education funding is down $1,357 per student when accounting for inflation; a total of $2.7 billion overall.
• The government’s announcement today only increases per-student funding by 1.9% this year, well below Budget 2024’s predicted inflation rate of 2.6% for 2024.
• The government’s memorandum to school boards on the Core Education Funding Formula does not even mention the teacher shortage.