About the Campaign
Welcome to the Speak for Children campaign!
This campaign is dedicated to ensuring a factual, positive discussion on the state of our publicly funded education system today and the progress that has been made over the past eight years.
As we emerge from the global economic downturn, the province is facing a number of fiscal, and social, challenges. Ontario has weathered the storm better than many other jurisdictions in large part because of the significant investments the current government has made in public services. Chief among them has been a commitment to building a strong publicly funded education system backed by social investments in children.
Today, Ontario’s publicly funded education system is among the highest regarded in the world. New schools have been built and others upgraded. Student achievement is on the rise. Teachers are well supported and there have been zero school days lost to lockouts or strikes.
But less than a decade ago publicly funded education in Ontario was marred by high dropout rates, crumbling schools, an absence of critical student resources and demoralized and unsupported teachers.
Other jurisdictions in North America seem intent on replicating failed strategies of funding cuts to publicly financed schools and social services and firing teachers.
It is important that the province not turn back the clock on the progress that has been made in publicly funded education or choose to follow the destructive path of other jurisdictions. Ontario must continue to build on our first class publicly funded education system that has become the envy of much of the world. Electing a pro-publicly funded education government that is committed to investments in children on October 6th is essential if that progress is to continue.
The Speak for Children campaign has four priorities that it will be advancing over the course of the election and seeking support on from political parties and candidates:
- Maintain investment in publicly funded education to maximize our potential for growth; resist cutting or overhauling a system that continues to improve.
- Proceed with the implementation of the full-day Kindergarten program, delivered by certified teachers, to fully realize its short and longer-term economic benefits.
- Continue to implement the recommendations of the Safe Schools Action Team; including embedding anti-bullying strategies into the school curriculum and providing more anti-bullying training for students, teachers and parents.
- Follow through with the Social Assistance Review and continue to implement a poverty reduction strategy, particularly with the goal of eliminating child poverty.
We encourage you to join our campaign to ensure a strong, pro-publicly funded education government is elected on October 6th. After all, who speaks for children? You do.
This campaign was initiated by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA). More information about OECTA can be found here: www.oecta.on.ca.
