MPP Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to reports of crowded classrooms and surging COVID-19 cases in schools:
“The government must immediately reverse their opposition to lower class sizes and get money flowing to boards to lower class sizes.
It is ridiculous that unvaccinated children are being crammed into classes of reportedly up to 40 students when the delta variant is running rampant. This is unacceptable.
As of today, there are 286 active cases in schools. Dozens of cohorts are currently in isolation at home, and a school in Cornwall is fully shut down.
This is what week 2 of back-to-school looks like under the Premier’s self-described ‘very comprehensive plan’.
This terrible situation is exactly what the Ontario Greens Safe School Plan would help avoid. But the Premier and Minister of Education ignored our suggestions that would keep students safe and keep schools open.
Students deserve to be back safe in the classroom learning. Not sent home for more remote learning because this government failed to make safe classrooms a priority.
Ontario families cannot afford another disrupted year of school. Ontario must make the investments needed to get this right once and for all.”