GUELPH – Mike Schreiner, released the following statement in response to Minister Lecce’s announcement about Catch Up Plan payments.
“Minister Lecce’s ‘catch up’ payments are a petty scheme designed to pit parents against education workers.
The nominal payout to parents will do nothing to help Ontario students learn in a stable, safe classroom environment.
They are merely a distraction from this government’s sorry record of funding cuts and failing contract negotiations with education workers.
I call on the government to put taxpayers’ dollars to actual work for Ontario kids by hiring more educators, paying all education workers what they deserve, and fixing aging school infrastructure.
The Premier can’t have it both ways — claiming to focus on students’ wellbeing while shortchanging and threatening education workers who ensure a positive school experience for our kids.
Good education is key to a prosperous Ontario. It’s time the province realized that and showed students and educational support workers that they’re important.”