Press Releases 2005

For immediate release

November 16, 2005

PC Education Critic responds to

Liberal's Bullying Strategy

• There is only one reason this announcement is being made today, and that is the "campaign of terror" to which a young teenage girl was alleged to have been subjected over an 18 month period in one of our public schools. Once again, this government only acts when there is a crisis.

• The announcement of $23 million dollars for more programs, more bureaucracy in the form of a Safe Schools Office in the Ministry of Education, and a Safe Schools Team in every school is wrong-headed and nothing more than announcement fodder.

• At the same time this minister is announcing $23 Million over three years for this new program, he's stripping Principals of the resources to properly supervise their schools by reducing teachers supervision time funding.

• As for the proposal to establish "Safe Schools Teams" in every school, we ALREADY have Safe Schools Teams in every school -- they're called Principals and Teachers.

• The Principals Council of Ontario warned the Minister last May of the serious consequences to safety in the schools by including the provision to reduce supervision time in his recent collective agreement with teachers.

• Give the principals the resources they have requested to properly supervise the schools by ensuring there are teachers in the halls, lunch rooms and school yards to do the job.

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For further information

Frank Klees, MPP

905-707-3160

Wake up to school safety November 15, 2005