“Mere blip on the radar:” NDP demand more for Francophone education

KITCHENER - In response to the Ford Conservatives’ abysmal track record on Francophone education and their recent announcement of a mere 110 new French-language teachers, Official Opposition NDP Critic for Education Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West—Nepean) and Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk—James Bay) Critic for Francophone Affairs are declaring it "too little, too late." They argue that this announcement, given the enormity of the challenges ahead, appears as a mere blip on the radar:

"This fails to meet the need," said Pasma. "Since the 2016-2017 academic year, the number of unqualified individuals teaching in Ontario's French-language schools, with only a letter of permission from the Ministry, has skyrocketed from 230 to over 1,100—a 400% increase. We're seeing an exodus of educators from French schools, with more teachers leaving than being trained. To truly address the crisis, we should be training at least 1,000 teachers annually."

"What we see here is another instance where Ford’s Conservatives are falling short of their responsibilities to Franco-Ontarians, particularly in Northern Ontario," said Bourgouin. "Their rejection of the University of Sudbury and their refusal to provide Francophones with post-secondary education in the North have left Northern Ontarians stranded. We wanted to see investments that would create opportunities for aspiring educators to receive training within their communities and help build Northern Ontario. The University of Sudbury would have played a significant role in training teachers and contributing to the region's development."