Ontario public schools

[Ed Weick]

I’ve posted material on the Ontario public education system to the list before. The system is funded by the Government of Ontario in accordance with a funding formula designed to ensure that all schools, both urban and rural, are funded equitably though, judging by recent experience, not necessarily adequately. The Government of Ontario recently appointed Mordechai Rozanski, president of the University of Guelph to study the funding issue. Mr. Rozanski has now reported. The following summary of key items from his report is from today’s Globe and Mail: The report's recommendations: A major education funding report recommended Tuesday that the Ontario government put nearly $2-billion more money into the province's school system. A look at some of its 33 suggestions: — Increase funding: To $1.8-billion over three years, plus the cost of labour agreements for teachers. — Allocation: $1.08-billion to update benchmark costs, $689-million for various programs, including ESL courses, school repair. — Immediate action: More money for current collective bargaining with teaching and support staff; $130-million for special education; $20-million for student transportation previously allocated in the 2002 budget. — Aboriginals: New grant for aboriginal students. — French schools: Review and adjust funding to recognize the higher costs of French-language boards in delivering education programs and services. — Small schools: $50-million more for core-support staffing at small schools in northern, rural, French-language boards and single-school communities. — Current formula: Worth about $14-billion.   Groups that have argued that the public system has been seriously underfunded and that important special programs have been cut feel vindicated, though there is still a mood of distrust abroad that the government will appear to be putting more money into the system without really doing it in adequate amounts.   Ed Ed Weick 577 Melbourne Ave. Ottawa, ON, K2A 1W7 Canada Phone (613) 728 4630 Fax     (613)  728 9382