Look for it: Reform in education, governance and substance
TORONTO – Later this morning, the Honourable Paul Calandra, Minister of Education in Ontario, will hold a press conference in which he will present his proposals for “reforming” education in Ontario. The Corriere Canadese is of the view that reforms are long overdue; whether they are the appropriate ones, we will wait for them to be made public before commenting in tomorrow’s edition.
No matter: the Minister has already given an indication that his proposals are designed to “rectify” financial mismanagement at the local (School Board), “infighting” among trustees and repurposing the focus on academics (skills, writing, mathematics and reading) for schools and Boards.
Keep in mind the Province allocates between $ 41billion per annum for in-class outcomes (including teachers’ salaries and benefits) and a further $7 billion for out of classroom services (including buildings etc.). There is a specific itinerary for the approval of Board operations in this regard that already involves Ministry consent every step of the way.
He has not ruled out the professional training and supervision of staff (teaching personnel) and “top heavy” administrative tier of centralized educational organizations. He should not. Teachers’ Unions may also be “under the gun”. Significantly, he has NOT liquidated any of the senior staff in charge of the eight boards he placed under Provincial supervision. The Toronto Catholic District School Board “converted” a $100 million in-year surplus into a $75 million deficit, in 2024.Does anyone know what the qualifications of those “superintendents” are?
Minister Calandra has taken some pains to emphasize that any re-organization he will undertake may not apply to Catholic Boards (English or French) because they precede Confederation because their denominational status is Constitutionally protected – without their co-operation and support there would have been no Confederation. Public school boards have no such protections.
Even school programs – irrespective of their utility – seem to be targeted (we’ll know later today) – but he has set the bar remarkably high. In other words, a program will survive if it proves its purpose. For example, in York Catholic District School Board, over 5,000 elementary school students, with the approval of their property tax-paying parents are registered for International Languages (Italian) day program. The not-for-profit organization that has sought and received approval to “administer” that program has partnered with the Italian government, Canadian businesses and professional organizations to defray the costs associated.
The Ford government has to date demonstrated political astuteness, more often than not. Constitutional change is not out of the question. It is, however, politically costly.
