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Congratulations on your recent appointment as Deputy Minister for Women and Children. This will permit you greater leeway to act as a resource to those many voters who rely on government services to sustain their families.
It is an opportune moment for you to take the reins in Simcoe North on behalf of all your constituents, including school children.
I think we can all agree that one key element for children, beyond food, shelter and love, is education. As you must be aware from the ongoing protests at your two constituent offices, there is a conflagration happening regarding public education.
Your government claims, among other things, that class sizes must increase to make education “more efficient.”
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce claims the teachers are making spurious arguments about class size mattering. In his statements he continues to pursue the mantra that the strikes are about money – salaries. Tacitly, you agree, despite continual statements by teachers, unions, and parents, that the work action is a genuine concern about the quality of education should the PC government polices be continued.
Let’s just look at some damning evidence that class size DOES matter. This comes from a paid insert, published in a national newspaper, by the private schools’ associations. In it, verbatim, is the following:
“The smaller class size in most of the independent schools allows for lower student-teacher ratio….That individualized attention, and allowing your child to be known is really important in this day and age….”
And…
“When our students leave after Grade 8, we have exit interviews with them. And the top reason they’ve enjoyed their time here is because of the relationships they have with their teachers, and you can do that when class sizes are smaller.”
So, who’s telling the fibs here? Apparently, unless we discount an entire paid section of self-aggrandizement by the private school industry, size DOES matter.
Awaiting your interpretation.
Dennis Rizzo
Orillia
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