Today, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker joined parents of children with learning disabilities to push the government at Queen's Park to keep provincial and demonstration schools open for students with special needs.
Last week he heard from a constituent, Melanie Dennie, whose 12-year-old son was applying to Trillium School, one of the schools that run specialized programs for severely learning-disabled students in Ontario.
"It appears to be a cost-cutting measure to balance the budget," the Elmwood native wrote in her letter to MPP Walker. "Our students did not create Ontario's deficit and we should not jeopardize their future to fix it."
MPP Walker agreed, and brought up her plight in today's Question Period at Queen's Park, demanding the Liberal government stop balancing the budget on the backs of children with special needs.
"Why is this Minister telling parents in my riding, like Melanie Dennie and others, their children are getting more special education dollars when in fact she is gutting core special education resources and planning to close schools across Ontario?"
Even though the Liberal government announced yesterday that enrolment would be reopened at the provincial and demonstration schools, many questions remain about support staff who have not been hired for the new school year. The future of these schools is also in doubt beyond the 2016-17 school year.
"This Government says it's for the people, about the people – but when put to the test, nothing could be further from the truth," MPP Walker challenged.
MPP Walker has been probing the Liberal government's cuts to special education since parents in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound started ringing alarms about children being sent home due to a lack of resources in the classroom. More than 30 families contacted the MPP's office one year ago to voice concern over the removal of about 50 education assistants from local schools.
"For parents like Melanie Dennie and hundreds of others with children with complex needs, it's been catastrophic. The reality is their cuts are seriously undermining special education services across Ontario," concluded MPP Walker.
