Chanting ‘Doug Ford has to go,’ hundreds of students from Twin Lakes Secondary School, many carrying placards, protested planned cuts to education as part of a province-wide protest Thursday afternoon.
They were joined in Orillia by students from Orillia Secondary School and Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School. Each school held protests at their respective schools.
Originally, students from the three schools planned a massive rally downtown but they were not able to arrange the necessary permits to stage such a large-scale demonstration.
“We had the police breathing down our neck,” said one of the organizers of the Twin Lakes rally, who said they were advised it was a safety and liability issue.
But that didn’t stop the students from staging a rally in front of the school, where three students gave brief speeches about the proposed cuts and the potential impact of the cuts.
“These changes are not fair and they are not equitable,” one student leader said via megaphone as hundreds of students prepared for the march.
After the brief rally, the students, en masse, left the school, marched up Barrie Road and then made a loop around the neighbourhood before returning to the school, where a band was to perform.
There were so many students that the group was more than a block long.
About 400 students from Orillia Secondary School walked out of class as well.
“I think we got noticed,” said Abby Austin, the vice-president of student council at OSS.
She said students first gathered at the Park Street school before marching downtown with signs.
“There were too many of us to stay at the school,” said Austin.
She said the goal of OSS students and, “hopefully students across the province, is that (Premier) Doug Ford would rethink his plan.”
About 100 students from Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School also walked out Thursday.
However, an OrilliaMatters reporter was not allowed to photograph the event or talk to the students on school property.
Patrick Fogarty principal Carolyn Healy said she was directed by officials from the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board to keep media off of school property during the protest.
Fogarty students walked around the athletic field at the rear of the school. A few came off property to talk to an OrilliaMatters reporter.
"I'm protesting because my mom is a teacher,” said Fogarty student Ally Metras. “She works over at Monsignor Lee and there is the potential for her to lose her job, and all her funding could be cut."
Metras said the goal is to ensure the community understands the impact of cuts.
"We hope we can raise awareness about this situation. Who knows if anything will actually be heard, but as long as people are aware of what is going on, that's the goal,” she said.
Bella Downing said she was upset by planned cuts.
"We are here today, protesting the budget cut to the education funds,” said Downing.
"My older sister is going to university to become an art teacher, so I want to make sure she gets to have a job one day and is able to achieve her dream."
Local elementary school students also walked out of their classrooms Thursday.
Esteban Yglesias, a Grade 7 student at Notre Dame Catholic School, said he felt the provincial government’s cuts were unfair.
He said he walked out, primarily, due to cuts to funding for students with autism.
“I don’t agree with that,” said the 12-year-old. “They need extra help and if they don’t have extra help, they are going to suffer.”
He said he also fears larger class sizes. Right now, he is one of 30 students in his class at the Atlantis Drive school.
“If the classes get bigger, it will be complete chaos,” he said. “And I don’t agree with teachers getting fired.”
He did however stress the province’s ban on cellphones in classrooms was a “good idea.”
Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop supplied a statement to OrilliaMatters about the walkout.
She defended her government, saying last fall the Ministry of Education “launched the largest education consultation in the history of this province.”
She said “72,000 students, parents, teachers, and interested citizens utilized this open forum to make their voices properly heard.”
Based on those consultations, “the Ontario Government developed an education plan that reflects the responses of all stakeholders and the needs of our children as they prepare to enter the workforce.”
She said parents and students can weigh in online until May 31.
“I encourage all students, parents, teachers, and school boards to embrace this opportunity to have their voices properly heard.”
The MPP, who formerly worked at Georgian College, said it’s important for students to be educated about the issues.
“I also hope students have educated themselves on the central points of this important debate,” said Dunlop. “It is imperative that our young people have the opportunity to engage in thorough research and dialogue with others when forming opinions on crucial issues.”
Some have expressed fears the cuts and larger class sizes could imperil skilled trades classes.
Dunlop, who has championed the need for skilled trades since being elected, disagrees.
She said the province’s plan "is committed to a renewed focus on the skilled trades in its curriculum reforms. This means a plan to increase student and parent exposure to skilled trades, promotion of these career paths, and apprenticeship training.”
- With files from Tyler Evans
