NDP Calls for Emergency Safe Schools Plan

QUEEN'S PARK — NDP Education Critic Chandra Pasma and NDP Labour Critic Jamie West were joined by labour leaders from six education unions today to call for an Emergency Safe Schools Plan to address the growing and urgent problem of school violence and make this year a safe school year.

“Our kids and the caring adults who support them deserve a safe environment that promotes learning,” said MPP Pasma. “But this year is picking up where things left off in June, with classrooms disrupted daily and behaviours like kicking, hitting, biting, and throwing objects part of the everyday routine of school. It’s not normal for students to have to dodge flying items or watch their beloved teacher take a punch.

“Doug Ford’s cuts to education funding have led to larger class sizes, fewer EAs and support staff, a shortage of mental health professionals, and cuts to special education supports and programming. This is leaving many of our children unsupported and an unsupported child is a frustrated child.”

“Every worker in Ontario deserves a safe workplace,” said MPP West. “Our passionate educators show up every day wanting to do the best they can for our children. They shouldn’t have to suffer physical or psychological injuries from doing that work. They shouldn’t have to show up in Kevlar. The Ford government needs to step up with the funding and the regulatory changes to make sure they stay safe at work.”

Pasma and West called on the Ford government to immediately implement an Emergency Safe Schools Plan that includes:

• Funding to hire additional qualified staff, including mental health professionals, education assistants, child and youth workers, and other education workers.
• Funding for comprehensive training for all workers and supervisors.
• A sector-specific regulation for education under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• A permanent, tri-partite Provincial Health and Safety Working Group to review and adapt current policies regarding workplace violence in the education sector.
• A single, province-wide online reporting system for violent incidents and data collection to understand the full scope of the problem.

Background:

• 77% of ETFO members have personally experienced or witnessed violence against an educator
• 75% of OSSTF members say that incidents of violence have increased since they started working in the school system
• In 2022-23, there were 4000 reported incidents of violence in just one school board (the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board), according to COPE 527. This represents just a portion of the violent incidents since many workers have given up on filing reports.
• According to WSIB injury claims statistics, teachers and education workers are second only to police and firefighters in filing workplace injury claims.
• Per-student funding for education in Ontario has declined by $1,500 per student since 2018 after inflation is taken into account.